KU LEUVEN FACULTY OF ARTS BLIJDE INKOMSTSTRAAT 21 BOX 3301 3000 LEUVEN, BELGIË

Visions of Women 7KURXJKWKH/HQVRI%DQYLOOH¶V0DOH3URWDJRQLVW

$VWXG\RIWKHQDUFLVVLVW¶VUHSUHVHQWDWLRQRIwomen LQ%DQYLOOH¶VRHXYUH with a focus on mothers

Lize Vandeborght

Presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Taal- en Letterkunde.

Supervisor: prof. dr. Hedwig Schwall

Academic year 2015 - 2016.

124.650 characters Table of Contents

Table of Contents ...... i

Acknowledgements ...... ii

Abstract ...... iii

Introduction ...... 1

ͳǤŠ‡‘—†”—‘ˆ‘–Š‡”Š‘‘†‹ƒ˜‹ŽŽ‡ǯ• ‹ –‹‘ ...... 3 1.1. Ledas and Alcmenes: Divine Impregnation, Adultery and Unknown Fathers 3 1.2. The Devotion to the Holy Mother and Ghostly Encounters ...... 6 2. Women as Glorious Mirrors: the Absence of a Female Voice ...... 13

3. The Other in the Form of Shame: The Female Gaze and Threatening Corporeality ...... 18 3.1. Eyes of Shame ...... 18 3.2. Female Bodies, Sexual Agency and Conspiracy ...... 26 ͶǤŠ‡ƒ””ƒ–‘”ǯ•”‡-Oedipal Behaviour ...... 30 4.1. Mothers, Fathers and Siblings ...... 30 4.2. The Maternal Mistress in Ancient Light ...... 37 4.3. Womanhood Eclipsed from Eclipse onwards ...... 40 5. Women Artified : Different Ways of Seeing and Creating ...... 44 5.1. Women Abstracted in Images: The Ewig-weibliche ...... 44 5.2. Recreated women: Paintings, Sculptures and Theatre ...... 47 5.3. Male Voyeurism and Female Exhibitionism: The Convention of The Nude ..53 5.4. Femmes Fatales, Witches and Goddesses ...... 55 6. Is Banville an Anti-feminist Writer or not? ...... 57

7. Conclusion ...... 58

8. Use of Sigla ...... 60

9. Works Cited ...... 60 9.1. Primary Literature ...... 60 9.2. Secondary Literature ...... 61 9.3. Media ...... 63

i

Acknowledgements

A special thank you goes to Delphine Lebourgeois for providing the illustration for my cover. Moreover, I would like to thank prof. Schwall for allowing me to indulge in this topic and for inspiring and assisting me wherever possible. Lastly, I would like to thank my friends and family who are a continuous source of inspiration.

ii Abstract

De representatie van de vrouw in Banvilles oeuvre door de ogen van de mannelijke ik-verteller vormt de thematische kern van deze thesis. Aan de hand van een tekstuele analyse van vijf romans uit diverse periodes, namelijk Mefisto (1986), The Book of Evidence (1989), Eclipse (2000), Ancient Light (2012) en The Blue Guitar (2015), wordt het thema van de moeder en, bij uitbreiding, de vrouw onder de loep genomen. Wat allereerst opvalt tijdens de lezing van die boeken is de inherente paradox in Banvilles fictie: enerzijds is er een afwezigheid van vrouwelijke hoofdpersonages, stemmen en psychologische karaktertekeningen, anderzijds is de mannelijke verteller geobsedHHUGGRRUKHWIHQRPHHQµ9URXZ¶De tekstuele analyse wordt aangevuld met EHVWDDQGRQGHU]RHNRPWUHQW%DQYLOOHVYURXZHQHQHURWLHNHQ2¶&RQQHOOVVWXGLHRYHU de narcistische inborst van diens protagonisten. Bovendien wordt, waar dat relevant is, naar de psychoanalyse verwezen om verschillende aspecten van het narcisme, meer bepaald met betrekking tot vrouwen toe te lichten. In het eerste hoofdstuk wordt de moeder als kernthema in Banvilles romans naar voren geschoven met aandacht voor intertekstuele verwijzingen naar mythes waarin vrouwen, zoals Leda en Alkmene, een goddelijk kind baren van een gespleten vaderfiguur. Bovendien wordt toegelicht hoe de devotie tot de Maagd Maria een rode draad is in Banvilles oeuvre, waardoor de moeder op een transcendentaal niveau alomtegenwoordig is in alle besproken boeken. Het tweede hoofdstuk beschrijft hoe de narcistische verteller vrouwen reduceert tot spiegels. Vervolgens wordt in hoofdstuk drie de dreiging van de alteriteit van de vrouw, gevat in haar blik en lichaam, besproken aan de hand van een veel voorkomend symptoom bij narcisten, namelijk schaamte, tevens een belangrijk thema in Banvilles oeuvre. Hoofdstuk vier belicht het egoïstische en infantiele gedrag van de verteller met de nadruk op hoe hij de vrouw gebruikt als pronkstuk en op het preoedipale karakter van zijn relaties met moeder- en dochterfiguren. In hoofdstuk vijf worden de verschillende defensiemechanismen tegen de verschijning van de vrouw uit de doeken gedaan, namelijk hoe de mannelijke verteller de vrouwelijke personages in zijn omgeving reduceert tot een abstract gegeven en een (lust)object door haar in te bedden in de beeldentaal van kunst, theater en poëzie. Ten slotte wordt ook kort ingegaan op de vraag of de objectivering van vrouwen Banvilles oeuvre antifeministisch kleurt door een beknopt overzicht te geven van het bestaand debat. Samengevat wil deze masterscriptie het belang van het thema van de vrouw en meer

iii bepaald de moeder in Banvilles oeuvre aantonen en een alternatieve leessleutel aanreiken om zijn werk anders en vollediger te benaderen.

iv Introduction

Banville, a widely acclaimed contemporary Irish writer, is not only known for his baroque style, but also for the recurring philosophical themes in his novels: the unreliability of memories; the philosophical and aesthetical questions on life, science and art; the rich density of intertextual allusions and the (post)modernist questioning of the authenticity of identity, to name a few of them. So far, though, %DQYLOOH¶V female characters and the erotic aspect of his oeuvre have received comparatively little attention, whereas Banville himself claimed in an interview that ³>D@UWLVLQIXVHG ZLWKWKHHURWLF«$OODUWLQDZD\FRPHVEDFNWRWKHbody and if you make a real ZRUN RI DUW WKHQ LW ZLOO EH DW D OHYHO RI HURWLFLVP ZKLFK LV YHU\ KLJK´1, thereby implicitly testifying that eroticism is an important theme in his opus. A handful of critics, such as Coughlan, 'HOO¶$PLFR'¶KRNHU*KDVVHPL and Müller have discussed VHYHUDO DVSHFWV RI WKH UHSUHVHQWDWLRQ RI ZRPHQ LQ %DQYLOOH¶V RHXYUH They all HPSKDVL]H WKDW %DQYLOOH¶V ³IXQGDPHQWDOO\ PDVFXOLQLVW DXWKRU´ 'HOO¶$PLFR   objectifies women. It is the goal of this paper to enrich existing researFKRQ%DQYLOOH¶V IHPDOHFKDUDFWHUVE\SURYLGLQJDQHODERUDWHDQDO\VLVRIWKHQDUUDWRU¶VUHSUHVHQWDWLRQ RI PRWKHUV ZLYHV PLVWUHVVHV DQG GDXJKWHUV WKURXJKRXW WKH ,ULVK ZULWHU¶V RHXYUH BDVHG RQ 2¶&RQQHOO¶V REVHUYDWLRQ WKDW ³DOPRVW DOO RI >%DQYLOOH¶V@ SURWDgonists are QDUFLVVLVWV LQ ZRUN´ 2¶&RQQHOO VHYHUDODVSHFWV RIWKHQDUFLVVLVWLFWUHDWPHQW RI women will be dealt with and, where relevant, the narcissistic character traits will be briefly clarified by Anglo-Saxon psychoanalysis, which, unlike Freudian and Lacanian theories, focuses on the mother-son relationship and its influence on the male treatment and depiction of women. For the textual study, a selection of five novels from different periods will be analyzed, however not in a chronological order. The first novel that will be discussed is Mefisto (1986) IURP%DQYLOOH¶s Science Tetralogy, which ³H[SORUHVWKHFRQQHFWLRQV EHWZHHQ OLWHUDWXUH DQG VFLHQFH´ 0OOHU   The second novel, The Book of Evidence (1989), is part of the Frame Trilogy, where BDQYLOOH¶VZULWLQJ³VKLIWHGIURP DQHSLVWHPRORJLFDOSHUVSHFWLYHWRPRUHRYHUWHWKLFDOFRQFHUQV´ '¶KRNHU³3RUWUDLWRI WKH2WKHUDVD:RPDQZLWK*ORYHV´23). Thirdly, the two novels Eclipse (2000) and

1 7DNHQIURPDQLQWHUYLHZZLWK%DQYLOOHLQWKHGRFXPHQWDU\µ$UW/LYHV± %HLQJ-RKQ%DQYLOOH¶

1 Ancient Light (2012), which belong to a third trilogy together with Shroud (2002), will be analyzed. The reason why two books from the same trilogy are discussed is EHFDXVH WKH\ ERWK FRQWDLQ YHU\ LQWHUHVWLQJ H[DPSOHV RI WKH QDUUDWRU¶V QDUFLVVLVWLF treatment of women. LaVWO\ %DQYLOOH¶V ODWHVW QRYHO The Blue Guitar (2015) is included in the analysis in order to discern whether there is a chronological development LQ %DQYLOOH¶V UHSUHVHQWDWLRQ RI ZRPHQ In the first chapter %DQYLOOH¶V references to myths of divinely abused women, to the devotion to Mother Mary, his XVHRIXQFDQQ\HOHPHQWVDQGWKHPRWLIRIWKHPRWKHU¶VKRXVHZLOOEHGLVFXVVHG7KH second chapter will highlight WKHQDUUDWRU¶VUHGXFWLRQRIZRPHQWRDQH[WHQVLRQRIWKH self, namely a glorifying mirror. The third chapter will illustrate the female threat that VXEMHFWVWKHQDUUDWRUWRVKDPH7KHIRXUWKFKDSWHU]RRPVLQRQWKHQDUUDWRU¶VLQIDQWLOH manipulative and pre-Oedipal behaviour, both in his familial and love attachments. The fifth chapter discusses how women are abstracted, recreated and artified. Finally, FKDSWHUVL[SURYLGHVDQRYHUYLHZRIWKHGHEDWHRQZKHWKHURUQRW%DQYLOOH¶VILFWLRQLV anti-feminist. Overall, this paper aims to target relatively undiscovered territory in the study of %DQYLOOH¶VILFWLon, namely the role of women and mothers in particular, while proving WKDWDGHWDLOHGVWXG\RIWKHUHSUHVHQWDWLRQRIZRPHQLQ%DQYLOOH¶VQRYHOVSURYLGHVD QHZµUHDGLQJNH\¶WRUHDGthe texts in all their richness.

2

1. The Conundrum RI0RWKHUKRRGLQ%DQYLOOH¶V)LFWLRQ

1.1. Ledas and Alcmenes: Divine Impregnation, Adultery and Unknown Fathers

,Q WKLV FKDSWHU %DQYLOOH¶V IDVFLQDWLRQ IRU VWRULHV DERXW GLYLQH LPSUHJQDWLRQ LQ particular for the myths of Leda and Alcmene2, will be highlighted. Both myths have D VLPLODU SORW WKH\ UHODWH =HXV¶ GLVJXLVHG YLVLW HLWKHU DV D PDMHVWLF VZDQ RU DV $OFPHQH¶V KXVEDQG $PSKLWU\RQ WR WKH PRUWDO ZRPHQ /HGD DQG $OFPHQH DQG WKH twins that stem from those divine love affairs, namely Castor and Polydeuces (Leda) and Iphicles and Hercules (Alcmene). Thus, both myths share themes of divine impregnation or ³>S@DWHUQDO XQFHUWDLQW\´ :HLQHFN   DGXOWHU\ DQG WKH ZRPHQ¶V LQMHFWLRQRIJRGOLQHVV7KLVFKDSWHUZLOOLOOXVWUDWH%DQYLOOH¶VXVHRIWKHVHWKUHHWhemes in the novels discussed, with a specific focus on their impact on the male narrator and his mother. To begin with, notions of divine visitations and immortal offspring are key themes in Mefisto %DQYLOOH¶V )DXVWLDQ DQG JRWKLF LQVSLUHG QRYHO 7R EHJLQ with, the first SDJHVRIWKHQRYHOUHYHDOWKDW*DEULHO¶VPRWKHUZDVSUHJQDQWRIWZLQVDVDUHVXOWRI ³DQ RXWODQGLVK YLVLWDWLRQ´ Mefisto 5). In addition, Gabriel compares himself with ³&DVWRU´=HXV¶RIIVSULQJLQWKH/HGDP\WKDQGKLVZHDNHUWZLQEURWKHU, who died GXULQJFKLOGELUWKZLWK³3RO\GHXFHV´ Mefisto 3), the mortal son. Schwall states that ³LW LV LQGHHG LQIHUUHG WKURXJKRXW WKH QRYHO WKDW *DEULHO¶V PRWKHU VKDUHG WKH IDWH RI /HGD ZKR ZDV UDSHG E\ =HXV ³-RYH´ GLVJXLVHG DV D VZDQ´ Schwall ³6LJQV and VLJQHWV´ ZKLFKWKHIROORZLQJTXRWHLOOXVWUDWHV

- No. Sir. Swan. - Aha. A cygnet, by Jove. (Mefisto 36)

2 In the year 2000 Banville wrote the play *RG¶V*LIWDQDGDSWDWLRQRI.OHLVW¶VAmphitryon, and his novel The Infinities (2009) is steeped with references to the Amphitryon myth. An interesting study FRQGXFWHGRQWKLVWRSLFLV6DVMD5H\QGHUV¶SDSHU³7KH2WKHU6HOI´ZKLFKIRFXVVHVRQWKHSUREOHPDWLF FRQFHSWRILGHQWLW\LQ.OHLVW¶VAmphitryon%DQYLOOH¶VSOD\*RG¶V*LIW and his novel The Infinities.

3

$QRWKHUDOOXVLRQWRWKH/HGDP\WKLVWKHSURWDJRQLVW¶VQDPHKLVfirst name µ*DEULHO¶ a reference to the archangel Gabriel, insinuates his immortality and his last name µ6ZDQ¶UHIHUVWR=HXV¶GLVJXLVH0RUHRYHU)HOL[*DEULHO¶VFRPSDQLRQHQGRZHGZLWK Mephistophelian features and stereotypes, attributes different nicknames to Gabriel, DOOOLQNHGWRWKHELUGLVRWRS\VXFKDV³ELUG-ER\´ Mefisto  DQG³6ZHHWVLU6ZDQVLU´ (Mefisto 48). Another reason to assume that Gabriel is indeed immortal is his unlikely VXUYLYDORIDQH[SORVLRQZKLFKUHVHPEOHV'DQWH¶VLQIHUQRLQKLVPRWKHU¶V parental KRPH DSWO\ FDOOHG µ$VKEXUQ¶ 'XULQJ WKDW SDVVDJH *DEULHO GHVFULEHV KRZ ³>D@ UHG URDUFDPHXSRXWRIWKHKROHDQG>KH@IOHZRQIODPLQJZLQJV « WKURXJKVPRNHDQG GXVWDQGVSOLQWHULQJJODVVLQWRWKHKXJHFROGDLU´ Mefisto 120). Another passage in WKHQRYHODV6FKZDOODOUHDG\UHPDUNHGLQKHUDUWLFOH³0LUURURQ0LUURU0LUURUHGLVDOO WKHVKRZ´DSSHDUVWRLQVLQXDWHWKDW*DEULHOZDVWKHSURGXFWRILQFHVW)RUH[DPSOH ZKHQKLVPRWKHUDQG*DEULHOPHHW³0LVV.LWW\WKHODVWRIWKH$VKEXUQV>WKHIDmily of *DEULHO¶V PRWKHU@ RI $VKEXUQ SDUN´ KHU SK\VLFDO DSSHDUDQFH LV UHPLQLVFHQW RI WKH DQDWRP\RIDVZDQDVVKHKDG³DJUHDWEHDNHGQRVH´ Mefisto 11). 7KHWKHPHRIDGRXEOHGRUµHFOLSVHG¶IDWKHUKRRGLVDOVRFHQWUDOWRWKHVWRU\OLQHRI Eclipse. In this novel, the professional actor Alex Cleave, has a mental breakdown ZKLOHSOD\LQJWKHUROHRI$PSKLWU\RQ:KLOHGHFODULQJWKHOLQH³:KRLIQRW,WKHQLV $PSKLWU\RQ"´ Eclipse   KLV YHU\ EHLQJ LV VXGGHQO\ µFOHDYHG¶ LQ WZR ZKLFK LV illustrated by Schwall in the following quote.

The power of his role, wherein he must play a man in whom another notices a weird discrepancy, is so strong that he becomes the divided man, which eclipses his acting powers. Simultaneously, the loss of his artistic control makes Alex a dividual person, whose perception loses its contours so that his subjectivity can range over different planes (Schwall ³0LUURURQ PLUURULVDOOWKHVKRZ´

Afterwards, Alex becomes a double or divided father figure in more than one respect. In Eclipse, he plans to adopt Lilly, who lives in his parental house with her father Quirke, as a ³VXUURJDWHGDXJKWHU´ Eclipse 157) for his biological child Cass. After he UHFHLYHGWKHQHZVRI&DVV¶VVXLFLGH$OH[DFFHSWVWKHPDLQUROHLQDPRYLHDERXW$[Hl 9DQGHU QRW NQRZLQJ WKDW WKLV PDQ ZDV KLV GDXJKWHU¶V ORYHU DQG WKH IDWKHU RI KLV unborn grandchild. In that sense, Alex, whose name is an anagram of Axel, merges ZLWK&DVV¶SDUWQHUDQGWKHIDWKHURIKHUXQERUQFKLOG$OH[ZKRLVIUHTXHQWO\YLVLWHG

4 by the ghosts of a woman and a baby, whom he will later identify as Cass and her HPEU\RQLFFKLOGLPDJLQHVKLPVHOIWREHWKHIDWKHURIWKLVJKRVWO\GXR³:HZHUHD little family together, the three of us, the woman, the child, and me the surrogate father[,] [a]QG ZKDW IDWKHUKRRG LW ZDV DEVROXWH DQG XQTXHVWLRQHG´ Eclipse 167). 7KXVERWKRQDWKHDWULFDODQGRQDSDUDQRUPDOOHYHO$OH[LVµHFOLSVHG¶by Axel, the IDWKHURIKLVGDXJKWHU¶VFKLOG In Ancient Light, the third novel of this trilogy that has postmodern literary theory as its theme, Alex meets another symbolic daughter, namely his co-player Dawn Devonport in the movie Inventions of the Past. The link between Dawn and Cass is established in the novel as Dawn is cast as Cora, which is a fictional name for Cass, made up for the biopic. Dawn Devonport, who recently lost her father and tried to FRPPLW VXLFLGH IDLOLQJ ZKHUH &DVV VXFFHHGHG GHVFULEHV KRZ ³>VKH@ IHHO>V@ DV LI >VKH¶V@IDOOLQJDOOWKHWLPH´ AL 213), a metaphorical reference to Cass who literally fell off DFOLII6KHDVNV$OH[³µ,PDJLQH,¶P\RXUGDXJKWHU¶VKHVDLGµ3UHWHQG,DP¶ ´ AL 213). The link between Dawn and Cass is strengthened by the fact that, first, Alex and Dawn undertake a trip to Italy to the very place where Cass committed suiFLGH DQG VHFRQG E\ WKH IDFW WKDW XSRQ WKHLU UHWXUQ $OH[¶V ZLIH ³/\GLD WRRN KHU >'DZQ@LQZLWKRXWDZRUG « DVLIWKHWKLQJKDGEHHQRUGDLQHG´ AL 231) and as if she understood the likeness between Dawn Devonport and her own daughter. Secondly, the theme of adultery, another key theme in the myths of Amphitryon DQG /HGD LV D FHQWUDO DVSHFW RI DOO RI WKH QDUUDWRUV¶ UHODWLRQVKLSV )LUVW RI DOO WKH narrators all cheat on their women3, which in The Blue Guitar is even the central VWRU\OLQH 7KH QDUUDWRUV¶ SDrents also often have extramarital relationships. In The Book of Evidence)UHGGLH¶VPRWKHUVXSSRVHGO\KDGDQDIIDLUDVVKH³FDOOHG>KLP@D EDVWDUG´ TBE  DQGKLV³IDWKHUKDGNHSWDPLVWUHVV´ TBE 154) as well. In The Blue Guitar2OLYHU¶VPRWKHULVVDLGWREH³VHGXFWLYHLQKHUGHDOLQJVZLWKPHQ´ TBG 19). According to his sister Olive, their mother had several extramarital relationships. Oliver himself becomes the adoptive father of a child that is not his own. He is the

3 )UHGGLHFKHDWVRQKLVZLIH'DSKQHZLWK³0DULDQ´ TBE 183), Alex has had several flings during his DFWLQJFDUHHUZLWK³ZRPHQZKRKDYHEHHQGUDZQLQWRWKHRUELWRI>KLV@OLIHRYHUWKH\HDUV´ Eclipse 8) and 2OLYHUEHWUD\VKLVZLIH*ORULDZLWK³$QQHOLHVH´ TBG 69) and Polly.

5 head of a new family consistiQJ RI ³WKH WKUHH RI >WKHP@ 'DGG\ 0XPP\ DQG 0XPP\¶V/LWWOH6XUSULVH´ TBG 239).4 Thirdly, myths of divinely abused women imply that the woman who is impregnated by Zeus receives an injection of godliness and is thereby elevated above the mere mortals. In %DQYLOOH¶V ILFWLRQ WKLV LV UHSUHVHQWHG E\ WKH ZRPHQ¶V VXSHULRU knowledge over the narrator since in the end, he always appears to be blind to HYHU\WKLQJWKDWGRHVQ¶WFRQFHUQKLPDQRWLRQWKDWZLOOEHGLVFXVVHGLQchapter three and four. In short, the three themes featured in the myths of Leda and Alcmene shed an LQWHUHVWLQJ OLJKW RQ WKH SUREOHPDWLF FRQFHSWV RI µPRWKHU¶ DQG µIDWKHU¶ LQ %DQYLOOH¶V fiction.

1.2. The Devotion to the Holy Mother and Ghostly Encounters

The cult of Mother 0DU\LVDUHFXUULQJLQWHUWH[WXDOHOHPHQWLQ%DQYLOOH¶VQRYHOV DQGDVWKLVFKDSWHUZLOODUJXHWKHQDUUDWRU¶VDWWHPSWWRH[SHULHQFHKLVPRWKHURQD transcendental level. In fact, not only religious symbolism, but also paranormal or uncanny experiences perYDGH %DQYLOOH¶V QRYHOV DQG DUH WKH SUHIHUDEOH PHGLXP through which the narcissistic narrator reaches out to others. This chapter will discuss WKHQDUUDWRU¶VGHYRWLRQWR0RWKHU0DU\KLVGHVFULSWLRQRIKLVORYHGRQHVLQUHOLJLRXV terminology, his encounters with the ghosts of his parents and daughter and the maternal house as a place where these uncanny experiences are staged. To begin with, the devotion to Mother Mary is explicitly mentioned in Eclipse. In WKLVQRYHOWKHSURWDJRQLVW$OH[³DVROHPQFKLOGSURQHWRERXWVRIUHOLJLRXVIHUYRXU´ WHVWLILHV WKDW ³>R@QH 0D\WLPH «  ZKHQ >KH@ ZDV D ER\ >KH@ EXLOW D VKULQH WR WKH 9LUJLQ 0DU\´ EHFDXVH ³>V@RPH YLVLRQDU\ PRPHQW PXVW KDYH EHHQ JUDQWHG >KLP@ VRPH JOLPSVH RI PDWXWLQDO EOXH´ Eclipse 29). This devotion to the mother Mary FDQQRWEHGLVFRQQHFWHGIURP$OH[¶VH[SHULHQFHRIKLVPRWKHUDVKHWHVWLILHVWKDWLQ his eyes his mother was a manifestation of the Holy Virgin.

4 Since there are no clues whatsoever regarding the origins of this baby, a divine fatherhood, a theme Banville often includes in his novels, cannot be excluded.

6 I have remained a devotee of the goddess, and she in turn has been attentive to me, in the various forms in which she has been manifest in my life. First of course there was my mother (Eclipse 30)

:KHQ$OH[¶VPRWKHULVPRUWDOO\LOOKHGHVFULEHVKHUO\LQJRQWKHKRVSLWDOEHGDV³D more than life-VL]HGVWDWXHRIKHUVHOI´ Eclipse 59), probably a reference to a statue of WKH9LUJLQDQGWHVWLILHVWKDW³>V@KHXQQHUYHG>KLPDV@>V@KHVHHPHGQRORQJHUKXPDQ she seemed something more than that, ancient and elemental [so that he] tended her OLNHDSULHVWDWDVKULQH´ Eclipse 60). The comparison of his mother with Holy Mary LV FRQILUPHG LQ WKH IROORZLQJ GHVFULSWLRQ ³/RRN DW XV WKHUH D GHSRVLWLRQ VFHQH LQ reverse, the dying hunched old woman cradled in the arm of her living son, in our GRPHRIFDQGOHOLJKWODSSHGLQRXUQRLVRPHDQFLHQWZDUPWK´ Eclipse 62). In Ancient Light, the second novel that features Alex as a narrator, the latter, in his prime years, has an affair with Mrs Gray, the mother of Billy, his best friend in high school. When he first saw Mrs Gray, he describes how she drove by with her bike as if she were descending from heaven with flapping wings, adorned with the colours of Mother 0DU\VRWKDW³>KH@WKRXJKWRIKHUDVDYLVLRQRIWKHJRGGHVVKHUVHOI´ AL 5).

7KHUHZHUHIRUPHWZRLQLWLDOPDQLIHVWDWLRQVRI0UV*UD\ « 7KHILUVWZRPDQ « PD\KDYH been only an annunciation of her (...) I had turned in at the gates of the Church of Mary Our 0RWKHU ,PPDFXODWH «  7KH FKXUFK VWRRG RQ D ULVH DQG ZKHQ , ORRNHG XS DQG VDZ KHU approaching with the steeple beetling at her back it seemed thrillingly that she had come swooping down out of the sky at just that moment, and that what I had heard was not the sound RIW\UHVRQWKHWDUPDFEXWRIUDSLGZLQJVEHDWLQJWKHDLU « 6KHZRUHDJDEHUGLQHUDLQFRDWWKH tails of it flapping behind to right and left of her like, yes, like wings, and a blue jumper over a blouse with a white collar. (AL 4)

Mrs *UD\¶VDIIHFWLRQIRUKLPLVGHVFULEHGDVWKH0RWKHU¶VORYHIRUKHUVRQWKHLPDJH of their embraces are blasphemously compared to Madonna and her child: ³:HPXVW have made a striking composition there, the two of us, a profane pietà, the troubled woman nursing in her embrace a heartsick young male animal who was not and yet VRPHKRZZDVKHUVRQ´ AL 60). In Mefisto *DEULHO¶V PRWKHU ZKR DV ZDV LOOXVWUDWHG in the previous chapter, UHFHLYHGDGLYLQHYLVLWDWLRQLVIXUWKHUPRUHGHVFULEHGE\KHUVRQDV³DGDUN0DGRQQD in the brownish sea-OLJKWRIVRPHROGSDLQWLQJ´ Mefisto 5). Moreover, towards the end RIWKHQRYHO%DQYLOOHVWDJHVDQLQWHUHVWLQJVFHQHLQ³PDPP\¶VURRP´ Mefisto

7 224).5 %DQYLOOH¶V FULWLFV ZKR ORFDWH WKH QRYHO¶V WXUQLQJ SRLQW LQ WKH SDVVDJH DERXW $GHOH¶VGHDWKVRIDUKDYHQHJOHFWHGWKLVVFHQH7KHPRWKHUIHDWXUHGLQWKLVSDVVDJH ZKR³IHOOLQWRIOHVK´ Mefisto 224) appears as a counter image of the elevated and VSLULWXDO0RWKHU0DU\DQGUHSUHVHQWVµPDWHU-LDOLW\¶LQVWHDGRIVSLULWXDOLW\0RUHRYHU WKHUHLVQRSHUVRQDOOLQNEHWZHHQKHUDQG*DEULHODVVKHLVVRPHRQHHOVH¶VPRWKHU *DEULHOUHPDUNVWKDW³>V@KHVLJQLfied something, no, she signified nothing. She had no PHDQLQJ 6KH ZDV VLPSO\ WKHUH ZDLWLQJ LQ WKDW IHWLG OLWWOH URRP IRUHYHU´ Mefisto 229 -  *DEULHOZKRKDGSUHYLRXVO\IRVWHUHGWKHEHOLHIWKDW³FKDRVLVQRWKLQJEXW an infinite number of ordered tKLQJV´ Mefisto 183), is now confronted with a meaningless symbol, carnal instead of abstract, which embodies everything he has so far been revolting against. Whereas the miscarriage of his twin brother in the EHJLQQLQJRIWKHQRYHOZDVH[SODLQHGE\³FKDQFH´ Mefisto 3), an imbalance Gabriel ZDQWVWRUHVWRUHE\FUDFNLQJ³WKHP\VWHU\RIWKHXQLW´ Mefisto 18); the last sentence RIWKHQRYHOUHYHDOVWKDW*DEULHO³ZLOOWU\WROHDYHWKLQJVWRFKDQFH´ Mefisto 234). I would like to argue that this central shift in the novel from order to chance, stressed E\ WKH VWUDWHJLF SODFHPHQW RI µFKDQFH¶ DV WKH ILUVW DQG ODVW ZRUG RI WKH QRYHO LV ORFDWHG LQ WKH SDVVDJH RI ³0DPP\´ Mefisto 228), which is a negative revelation, namely that in life there is no hidden order or overarching meaning. Aside from references to the cult of Mother Mary, Alex frequently describes his family members in religious terms, thereby steering away from their human aspects and recoding them in transcendental images. In Eclipse, a novel that zooms in on $OH[¶V UHODWLRQVKLS ZLWK KLV GDXJKWHU &DVV $OH[ HOHYDWHV &DVV WR D UHOLJLRXV PHVVHQJHU+HLQWHUSUHWVWKHYRLFHVVKHKHDUVLQKHUKHDGDV³WKHYRLFHRIDQRUDFOH´ (Eclipse 72), thereby giving her mental condition of paranoia a religious connotation. )XUWKHUPRUHDFFRUGLQJWR$OH[³WKHUHLVDWRXFKRIWKHQXQWR>WKHLU@&DVV´ Eclipse  /DWHURQLQWKHVWRU\ZKHQ$OH[LVLQIRUPHGDERXWKLVGDXJKWHU¶VWUDJLFVXLFLGH KHXVHVUHOLJLRXVYRFDEXODU\WRGHVFULEHKLVDQGKLVZLIH/\GLD¶VSUHGLFDPHQW³:H felt like priest and priestess officiating at the place of veneration, receiving the VDFULILFHVRIWKHIDLWKIXO « %XWLWDOOFDPHWRRODWHWKHPXWWHUHGLQYRFDWLRQVWKH

5 ³The room was small and filled with things. A banked-up coke fire throbbed in the grate. By the fire, in a vast armchair, a vast woman sat. She had a great round head, like the head of a stone statue, and ragged sparse white hair. Her bloated face glistened in the glare of the coals like a glazed mask that had begun to melt. She wore a sort of gown of some heavy shiny black stuff, and a knitted jacket draped over her shoulders like a cape. -7KLV'DQVDLGLV0DPP\´ Mefisto 228)

8 promised prayers, the funeral baked meats, for the maiden had already gone to the VDFULILFH´ Eclipse 197). Probably this ³maiden´UHIHUVWR&DVVZKRWKUHZKHUVHOIRII a cliff. In a similar fashion, Alex uses religious vocabulary to describe Lily, a stand-in IRUKLVGDXJKWHUKHVD\VVKHKDVDQ³XQHDUWKO\DXUD´ZKLFK³UHPLQGV>KLP@RI&DVV´ (Eclipse  DQGWKDWKHUSRVWXUHZDV³OLNHWKDWRIRQHRIWKHZRPHQDWWKHIRRWRIWKH FURVV´ Eclipse 184). In the following sentence, Alex voices his belief that Cass, as a religious messenger or even as Mother Mary herself will be reborn in Lily.

I await the moment, which is bound to come, when she [Cass] will exactly coincide with Lily, will descend on her like the annunciatory angel, like the goddess herself, and illumine her with the momentary benison of her supernatural presence. (Eclipse 124)

Moreover, Alex compares Dawn Devonport, another daughter-like figure, to an oracle DVKHGLGZLWK&DVV³7KHUHLVDWRXFKRIWKHVLE\OWR'DZQ'HYRQSRUW%XWWKHQGRHV QRWHYHU\ZRPDQWRP\HQFKDQWHGH\HSRVVHVVVRPHWKLQJRIWKHSURSKHWHVV"´ AL   %\ $OH[¶V XVH RI UHOLJLRXV YRFDEXODU\ WR GHVFULEH &DVV /LO\ DQG 'DZQ KH symbolically ties them together as three daughter figures. $OH[¶s fascination with supernatural phenomena reaches beyond attributing divine features to his loved ones, as he even engages with the ghosts of his deceased family. $OH[¶V ILUVW HQFRXQWHU ZLWK D JKRVW ZDV RI ³>KLV@ GHDG IDWKHU VWDQGLQJ LQ WKH RSHQ doorway, as real as in life, dressed in striped pyjamas and shoes without laces and an old wheat-coloured cardigan, the same attire that he had worn every day in the long ODVWPRQWKVRIKLVG\LQJ´ Eclipse  $OH[H[SODLQVKRZ³>KLV@IDWKHU « LVPRUH DOLYHWR>KLP@QRZWKDQZKHQKHZDVOLYLQJ´DQGWKDW³>H@YHQ>KLV@PRWKHUZDVQRW wholly there for [him] until she had safHO\EHFRPHDPHPRU\´ Eclipse 50). Note the XVHRIWKHZRUG³VDIHO\´ZKLFKVXJJHVWVWKDWKLVPRWKHUZDVWRRFRQIURQWLQJGXULQJ his lifetime, and that as a ghost she has now lost her voice, opinion and otherness and can be admired by the narrator from a distance. Moreover, none of the narrators, who are all deprived of their parents in the course of the novels, ever mourn this loss and VHHPWREHPRUHLQWLPDWHO\FRQQHFWHGZLWKWKHPDIWHUWKH\KDYHSDVVHGVLQFH³ZKDW makes for presence if not absence? I mean the presence of oneself as a remembered RWKHU´ Eclipse 46). The second apparition Alex saw was of a mother and child, whom he first saw haunting his parental house in a dream. These ghosts again appear

9 DVDGHSLFWLRQRI0DJGDOHQD³WKHILJXUHRIDZRPDQ « >ZLWK@DVHDWHGFKLOG>DQ LPDJHWKDW@ZDV « LQH[SOLFDEO\DFKLQJO\IDPLOLDU´ Eclipse 43). Like Alex, the other narrators also have ghostly or uncanny experiences, which are JHQHUDOO\ VLWXDWHG LQ WKH QDUUDWRU¶V SDUHQWDO KRPH D UHFXUULQJ OLWHUDU\ motif in %DQYLOOH¶VRHXYUH,QDOOILYHQRYHOVGLVFXVVHGWKHQDUUDWRUVUHWUHDWWRWKHLUFKLOGKRRG home, always an abandoned, strangely animate house, which bears resemblances to the abandoned castles featured in gothic novels. Banville uses these houses to stage WKH QDUUDWRU¶V µXQFDQQ\¶ DQG VXSHUQDWXUDO H[SHULHQFHV 6FKZDOO LQ DQ DUWLFOH DERXW EclipseH[SODLQVWKDW$OH[¶VFKLOGKRRGKRPHUHSUHVHQWVWKHPRWKHU¶VZRPEDQGWKDW WKHQDUUDWRU¶VUHWUHDWWRKLVFKLOGKRRGKRXVHWKXVV\PEROL]HVKLVGHVLUHWRUHWXUn to his PRWKHU¶VVDIHKDYHQ³OLNHDFKLOGZKRKDVKDGDIULJKWDQGZDQWVLWVPDPD´ Eclipse 5 ± 6).

>7@KHQDUUDWRUGURSVVRPDQ\KLQWVWKDWKLVUHWXUQWRKLVPRWKHU¶VKRXVHLVDZRPE-phantasy that we get an overkill of crude Freudian thought: not only does the narrator want to withdraw to his PRWKHU¶V KRXVH EXW DOVR WR KLV PRWKHU¶V EHG S   0RUHRYHU he finds there two half-burnt books, the titles of which are conveniently kept legible µ7KH5HYHQDQW0\0RWKHU¶V+RXVH¶(p.  6R)UHXG¶VSRLQWWKDWDIDLOXUHWRUHSUHVVFDVWUDWLRQIHDUVIURPFKLOGKRRGPake the subject JLYH LQ WR WKH µODVFLYLRXV « SKDQWDV\ « RI LQWUD-XWHULQH H[LVWHQFH¶ LV ULGLFXOHG by the sheer insistence on it. (Schwall ³0LUURURQ0LUURU0LUURUHGLVDOOWKHVKRZ´125 - 126)

:LONLQVRQVXJJHVWVDVLPLODULQWHUSUHWDWLRQRI$OH[¶VSDUHQWDOKRXVHRQO\KHFODLPV that the house symbolizes the mother in her entirety: ³>K@H>$OH[@ZLWKGUDZVLQWRWKH µFORYHQVKHOO¶RIDKRXVHZKLFKHPERGLHVDGHDGPRWKHU´ :LONLQVRQ :LONLQVRQ DOVRVXJJHVWVWKDWKLVPRWKHU¶VKRPHLVDSURMHFWLRQRI$OH[¶VXQFRQVFLRXVIHHOLQJV towards his mother and daughter so that the gothic house is an opening to new levels of experience, hence the uncanny encounters with ghosts.

Banville uses the big house as an image of pure subjectivity ±the house acts as mind, a projection of self. With its attics and arched doors, its sealed chamber and overgrown garden, &OHDYH¶VFKLOGKRRGKRPHDOOXGHVWRKHDY\-duty gothic in the vein of Sheridan Le Fanu as well as to the Anglo-Irish houses of Yeats and Elizabeth Bowen. Framed in windows and doorways, the characters float across thresholds between reality and dream to define forms from another stage. (Wilkinson 359)

10 In The Book of Evidence)UHGGLH¶VUHWXUQWRKLVFKLOGKRRGKRXVHZKLFK³was rotting, LQSODFHVVREDGO\DQGVRUDSLGO\WKDWHYHQVKH>KLVPRWKHU@ZDVVWDUWOHG « >Zith] damp walls and sagging floors and mouldering window-IUDPHV´ TBE 45), is GHVFULEHGDVDSK\VLFDOWUDQVJUHVVLRQQDPHO\³WKURXJKWKHPHPEUDQHRIWLPHLWVHOI´ (TBE 43). Freddie has another uncanny experience, where his perception fails him as ³>KH@IHOW vaguely as if something momentous had happened, as if in the blink of an eye everything around [him] had been whipped away and replaced instantly with an H[DFWUHSOLFD´ TBE 43). In other words, the house, which seems to be animate, has a significant physical effect on Freddie. Similarly, Mefisto¶V SURWDJRQLVW *DEULHO WHVWLILHVWKDW³>D@UDSWLQWHQWVLOHQFHVXUURXQGHG>KLP@DVLIHYHU\WKLQJZHUHZDWFKLQJ >KLP@´6 ZKHQKH³VWRRGDPLGWKHUXLQVRIWKHFRWWDJHZKHUH>KLV@PRWKHUZDVERUQ´ (Mefisto 34). In Ancient Light³&RWWHU¶VROGKRXVHLQWKHZRRGV´ AL 62), the meeting place of the enamoured Alex and Mrs Gray, also resembles a gothic house and symbolizes the womb-fantasy as it is the location where Alex has sex with the mother-figure Mrs Gray. In The Blue Guitar, Oliver also returns to his decayed FKLOGKRRGKRXVHDVD³ZRXQGHGUDEELWGUDJJLQJLWVHOIEDFNWRWKHEXUURZ´ TBG 25). 2OLYHU¶VZLIH*ORULDUHPDUNHGKRZKLVUHWUHDWWRKLVFKLOGKRRGKRXVHLVDFKLOGLVKDQG LPPDWXUHIOLJKWWRKLVPRWKHU¶VVDIHFRFRRQ³µV@RPDQ\SHRSOH>KH@KD>V@EHWUD\HGLQ[his] life, starting with her [his mother], the

6 $SDUWIURP³GLYLQLVLQJ´SHRSOH%DQYLOOH¶VQDUUDWRUVDOVRGHWUDFWIURPWKHLULQWHUORFXWRUV¶KXPDQity by transferring the human qualities to things.

11 ILUVW FDVXDOW\´ AL 186) and that he feels that he ought to regret his wrongdoings towards them.

When they [$OH[¶V SDUHQWV@ GLHG , GLG QRW JULHYH IRU WKHP And so I ask myself, are these hauntings now their revenge, a forcing on me of some part of a lost life I did not attend properly to when I had the chance? Are they demanding the due of mourning that I did not pay? For there is a sense of sorrow here, and of regret; of promises unkept, of promise unfulfilled. (Eclipse 50)

Like Alex, Freddie in The Book of Evidence, also starts to contemplate his deplorable behaviour towards and neglect of his mother after her death.

3RRU0D,FDQ¶WEHOLHYHWKDWVKH¶VJRQH « 7KH\¶OOUHDGWKHZLOOZLWKRXWPHZKLFKLVRQO\ ULJKW7KHODVWWLPH,VDZKHU,IRXJKWZLWKKHU « 6KHGLGQRWYLVLWPHLQMDLO,GRQ¶WEODPH her. I never even brought the child for her to see. She was not as tough as I imagined. Did I destroy her life, too? All these dead women. (TBE 101)

In The Blue Guitar 2OLYHU VLPLODUO\ DVNV KLPVHOI ³Do other people, remembering their parents, feel, as I do, a sense of having inadvertently done some small though VLJQLILFDQWLUUHYHUVLEOHZURQJ" « 1R IRUJLYHQHVV"1RQH « ,¶PQRWSHUPLWWHGWR DEVROYH P\VHOI 1R FULPH QR FKDUJH D\H DQG QR DFTXLWWDO HLWKHU´ TBG 79). The FKRLFHRIZRUGVQDPHO\³DEVROYH´DQG³IRUJLYHQHVV´VXJJHVWs WKDW2OLYHU¶VWHVWLPRQ\ is one long confession of every inexplicable sin he has committed towards others and his parents in particular.7 7KXVDOORI%DQYLOOH¶VQDUUDWRUVDUHVWXFNLQWKHSDVWZKLFKLVHPERGLHGE\WKHLU childhood house, a place where they reconnect with the ghosts, artefacts and memories of their parents or, in the case of Alex, their daughter, whom they neglected during their lifetime, and they recode their loved ones in religious symbolism in order to keep them at bay.

7 Note that the theme of confession is important in The Blue Guitar, where Oliver starts with a confession of his habLW RI WKLHYLQJ LQ WKH RSHQLQJ SDJHV RI WKH QRYHO ³1RZ DV WR WKH VXEMHFW RI thieving « ,FRQIHVV,ZDVDOLWWOHHPEDUrDVVHG « DQGIUDQNO\,GRQ¶WNQRZZK\,¶PRZQLQJXSWR LWWR\RXP\LQH[LVWHQWFRQIHVVRU7KHPRUDOTXHVWLRQKHUHLVWLFNOLVK´ TBG 16).

12 2. Women as Glorious Mirrors: the Absence of a Female Voice

So far several studies have highlighted the importance of mirroring surfaces in %DQYLOOH¶VQRYHOVDQGWKHLUIXQFWLRQIRUWKHQDUUDWLYH+RZHYHUWKLVFKDSWHUZLOOIRFXV on the mirroring other, more concretely on how women serve as instruments, or rather self-objects8, foUWKHQDUUDWRU¶VVHOI-enhancement. Moreover, the subsequent reduction of women to surface phenomena and the absence of their inner lives will be discussed. First of all, In his book -RKQ %DQYLOOH¶V 1DUFLVVLVWLF )LFWLRQV 2¶&RQQHOO KDV already mentioned thaW %DQYLOOH¶VQDUUDWRUVGXHWRWKHLU³lack[׎] of a coherent and VROLGO\ DQFKRUHG VHQVH RI VHOI´ 2¶&RQQHOO   GLVSOD\ DQ LQFHVVDQW ³need for PLUURULQJVXUIDFHVKXPDQDQGRWKHUZLVHWRUHLQVWDWHDVHQVHRIVHOI´ 2¶&RQQHOO  ,Q³3recarious 6XEMHFWLYLW\LQWKH:RUNRI-RKQ%DQYLOOH´, Ghassemi also remarked that ³WKHQDUUDWRUV³XVH´WKHILJXUHRI³WKHZRPDQ´WRKHDOWKHULIWEHWZHHQWKHPDQG WKH QDWXUDO ZRUOG DQG WR UHLQVWDWH WKHLU SUHFDULRXV VHQVH RI VHOI´ *KDVVHPL   Indeed, in Eclipse and Ancient Light, the protagonist Alex typically uses women as mirroring surfaces. In Eclipse, $OH[¶V ZLIH /\GLD ³KDG VHHPHG WKH RQH FDSDEOH RI concentrating sufficient attention on [him] to make [him] shine out into the world with a flickering intensity sXFKWKDWHYHQ>KH@PLJKWEHOLHYH>KH@ZDVUHDO´ Eclipse 33). Thus, through /\GLD¶V focused attention and confirmation, her eyes were bright PLUURUV ZKLFK UHIOHFWHG $OH[¶V exalted image back at KLP 2¶&RQQHOO ZULWHV WKDW ³>E@RWK&OHDYH¶VUHODWLRQVKLSZLWh Lydia and his career on stage « HQDEOHKLPWR construct ± WRIRUJH « ± an identity for himself out of the incoherence and absence RIKLVLQQHUOLIH´ 2¶&RQQHOO However, Alex reduces Lydia to ³DQHQLJPDRI>KLV@ RZQPDNLQJ´ AL  WRD³DSDUWof [him], a part of what is the greatest of all [his] enigmas, namely, [him]self´ (AL  $VDUHVXOW$OH[QHJOHFWV /\GLD¶VRWKHUQHVV and perceives her as a continuation of himself. The discovery that Lydia is not really within his reach and control, but rather an incomprehensible and impenetrable other, FDXVHV$OH[¶VORYHIRUKHUWRHYDSRUDWH.

8 Kohut describes the self-REMHFWDV³WKHPLUURULQJRWKHUXSRQZKRPWKHIRUPDWLRQ of a coherent self GHSHQGV´ .RKXWTWLQ2¶&RQQHOO 

13 I date the inauguration of a significant shift in my attitude toward Lydia from the moment « I UHDOL]HG «  her absolute otherness. Up to then and, indeed, as I had done most of the time VLQFH « ,KDGFRQFHLYHGKHUDV,GLGVRPXFKHOVHWREHDSDUWRIPH Eclipse 159)

In Ancient Light $OH[¶V PHPRries of his childhood lover Mrs Gray bear many resemblances ZLWKKLVGHVFULSWLRQVRI/\GLD$OH[VD\VKRZ³ZKHQ>KH@ORRNHGDWKHU LWZDV>KLP@WKDW>KH@VDZILUVWUHIOHFWHGLQWKHJORULRXVPLUURUWKDW>KH@PDGHRIKHU´ (AL  DQGWKDWWKHLUORYHUHVHPEOHV³KRZLWLVZKHQRQHGLVFRYHUVRQHVHOIWKURXJK DQRWKHU´(AL  EHFDXVH³>I@RU>KLP@WKHUHDUHWZRPRGHVRIRWKHUQHVVRQO\WKDWRI the loved one or of the stranger, and the former is hardly other, but more an extension RI>KLP@VHOI´ AL 165). In The Book of Evidence'DSKQHZKR³ZDVQRWQLFHVKHZDV not gooG´³VXLWHG>)UHGGLH@´ TBE 7) as she was probably one of his kind, namely a narcissist in whom he saw himself reflected. In The Blue Guitar, Oliver claims to NQRZWKDW³[m]D\EHWKDW¶VZKHUHORYHEHJLQVQRWLQVXGGHQVHL]XUHVRISDVVLRQEXWLQ the recogniWLRQ DQG VLPSOH DFFHSWDQFH RI «  VRPHWKLQJ RU RWKHU´ TBG 7). Nevertheless, ZKHQ ³DW ODVW VKH >3ROO\@ KDG EURNHQ WKURXJK WKH FDVLQJ WKDW >KLV@ fantasies had moulded around her and had become, at last, at last had become, for >KLP@ « >K@HUUHDOVHOI´ TBG  2OLYHU¶VORYHIRU3ROO\TXLFNO\YDQLVKHVVLPLODU to Alex who discovers that Lydia is an unaccountable other. Secondly, the narrator pays few heed to the inner lives of women and is highly uncomfortable when confronted with their emotional distress 2¶&RQQHOO UHPDUNHG WKDW³>t]he self-GLUHFWHGQDWXUHRIORYHLVDPDMRUWKHPHRI%DQYLOOH¶VZRUNDQGLWLV one that is linked with the profound difficulty of making real and empathic FRQQHFWLRQV ZLWK RWKHUV´ 2¶&RQQHOO   In fact, Banville believes that ³RQ WKH VXUIDFHWKDW¶VZKHUHWKHUHDOGHSWKLV´ %DQYLOOHTWLQ'HOLVWUDW\ and, similarly, his narrators focus on the external appearance of women instead of their psyche. In Eclipse for instance, Alex relates his first encounters with Lydia by referring to her physical body language, her presence or bodily charm: ³[he] loved to watch her as she walked to meet [him], with that heavy-hipped slouch and that distracted, always YDJXHO\GLVVDWLVILHGVPLOH´ (Eclipse 35). Alex mistakes these surface phenomena for WKH WUXH /\GLD DQG KH ³GHFLGHG DW RQFH ZLWKRXW KDYLQJ WR WKLQN DERXW LW WKDW >KH@ ZRXOG PDUU\ KHU´ Eclipse 35). Moreover, /\GLD¶V PDQQHULVPV are given so much weight that they are almost enough to break up their marriage. For instance, when /\GLDZDV ³GRLQJWKDWWXQHOHVV ZKLVWOLQJ she claims to be unconscious of « WKDW

14 QHDUO\EURXJKW>WKHLU@PDUULDJHWRDQHQGEHIRUHWKHKRQH\PRRQZDVRYHU´ Eclipse 152). In contrast, Alex knows OLWWOHDERXW/\GLD¶VLQQHUOLIH³RIDOOWKHZRPHQI have known in my life, I know /\GLDWKHOHDVW´ AL 139). )XUWKHUPRUH/\GLD¶V emotions are too confronting for Alex ZKR³>LV@QRWJRRGZLWKRWKHUSHRSOH¶VGLVWUHVV´ ³How often in our life together had I stood like this, watching her dissolve in grief « I know I have been a trial to her, in one way or another ± indeed, in many ways [but] [t]he fact is, I have never understood her, what she wants, what she expects´ (Eclipse 139). In Ancient Light, Alex DOVRGRHVQRWKDYHDFOXHDERXW0UV*UD\¶VHPRWLRQV$OH[ VD\VWKDW³>L@QDOORIWKHWLPH>WKH\@ZHUHWRJHWKHU>KH@QHYHUNQHZZKDWZDVJRLQJRQ in her >0UV*UD\¶V@ head, not in any real or empathetic way, and hardly bothered to WU\ WR ILQG RXW´ AL 110). 7KLV FRPSOHWH GLVUHJDUG RI KLV ORYHU¶V HPRWLRQV UHYHDOV $OH[¶VDSDWK\towards others and his pre-occupation with his own needs. When later on, it is revealed that ³>V@KHKDGEHHQPRUWDOO\VLFNIRUDORQJWLPH>KLV@0UV*UD\ and [he was] without an inklinJ´ AL 240), it becomes clear just how little Alex knew of her, which is illustrated in the following passage.

There were occasions when she would go silent and turn away from me and seem to be looking at something approaching that was still far off yet not so distant that she could not make it out in all its awfulness. And on those occasions did I offer solace, try to divert her, draw her away from that dreadful vista? I did not. I went into a huff at being neglected, or made a cutting remark and flung myself from that mattress on the rotted floorboards and stamped off to another part of the house. (AL 65)

2¶&RQQHOOUHPDUNVWKDW0UV*UD\³LV JRLQJWRGLHYHU\VRRQEXWKH>$OH[@KDVQR notion that this is the case because he has no interest in her internal life ± no real FRQFHUQIRUKHUDWDOOEH\RQGWKHHURWLF DQGFXULRXVO\LQIDQWLOH GHVLUHIRUKHUIOHVK´ 2¶&RQQHOO  Alex does not only neglect his lovers Lydia and Mrs Gray, but also his daughter &DVV $IWHU &DVV¶ VXLFLGH GLIIHUHQW IDFWV DERXW KHU OLIH VWDUW WR VHHS through. Alex UHPDUNV WKDW ³>W@KH\ PDGH DQRWKHU YHUVLRQ RI >WKHLU@ GDXJKWHU RQH >KH@ GLG QRW UHFRJQLVHWKHLQWHUQDWLRQDOVFKRODU´DQGWKDWKH³VKRXOGKDYHSDLGPRUHDWWHQWLRQWR what [he] always winced at when [he] heard her refer to it as her work´ Eclipse 201). +HKDV³EHJXQWR UHDOLVHIXOO\DWODVW KRZOLWWOH>KH@NQRZ>V@DERXW >KLV@GDXJKWHU´ (Eclipse 201). However, instead of learning from the past, Alex makes the same

15 mistake ZLWKDQRWKHUJLUO/LO\ZKROLYHVLQ$OH[¶VSDUHQWDOKRXVHWRJHWKHUZLWKKHU fatKHU4XLUNH+HVD\VWKDW³>V@KHUHPLQGV>KLP@RI&DVVQDWXUDOO\LQHYHU\GDXJKWHU >KH@ VHH>V@ >KLV@ RZQ´ Eclipse 96). Shortly afterwards he realizes that this identification of Lily falOV VKRUW ZLWK ZKR VKH UHDOO\ LV DQG UHDOL]HV WKDW KH ³PXVW bethink [him]self and stop these generalizations into which [he has] always fallen too easily [because] [i]t is not a girl like Lily [he is] dealing with [but] Lily herself, XQLTXHDQGP\VWHULRXVIRUDOOKHURUGLQDULQHVV´ Eclipse 122-123). Nevertheless, this PRPHQWRIHSLSKDQ\GRHVQ¶WODVWORQJDV$OH[VRRQZDQWVWRDGRSW/LO\VRWKDW³>V@KH could be [his] ± >KLVDQG/\GLD¶V@ Eclipse 136). Thus, he immediately reduces her to an object of his possession, similar to Freddie who stole the painting of the Woman in Gloves and kidnapped Josie Bell (chapter 3 ZLWKRXWWDNLQJWKHJLUO¶VZLVKHVLQWR DFFRXQW+HGRHVQ¶WDVN/LOO\EXWUDWKHULQIRUPVKHUDERXWWKHLUSODQ³ µMrs Cleave DQG,ZRXOGOLNHWRDGRSW\RX¶ « DQGWXUQ\RXLQWRDOLWWOHSULQFHVV´ Eclipse 138), a pet name which shows he has not outgrown his childishness. Moreover, he makes a SXEOLFDQQRXQFHPHQWLQIURQWRIDIXOOFLUFXVWHQWFODLPLQJKHUDVKLVFKLOG³µ0\ QDPHLV$OH[DQGHU&OHDYH¶,VDLGLQDORXGILUPYRLFHµDQGWKLVLVP\GDXJKWHU¶´ (Eclipse 187), an example of his acting skills. Furthermore, Alex treats Dawn Devonport, who is like a daughter to him, in a similar fashion and he is unable to soothe her after her attempt at suicide: ³7he sound of a woman sobbing to herself in the darkness is a terrible thing. What was I to do? How was I to console her ± was I UHTXLUHGWRFRQVROHKHU":DVDQ\WKLQJDWDOOWREHDVNHGRIPH"´ AL 202). Freddie Montgomery, the protagonist of The Book of Evidence ³RQO\ SD\V IXOO heed to the outside world to the extent that it either reflects him favourably or WKUHDWHQVKLVLPDJHRIKLPVHOI´ 2¶&RQQHOO Freddie explains that his relationship ZLWK KLV ZLIH ZDV RQO\ SRVVLEOH EHFDXVH WKH\ HDFK ³PDLQWDLQHG WKH HVVential VHFUHWQHVV RI >WKHLU@ LQQHU VHOYHV´ TBE 9). When Freddie is imprisoned, Daphne YLVLWVKLPDQGUHYHDOVWRKLPKRZXQKDSS\VKHKDVEHHQDOODORQJ³6KHZHQWEDFN over the years. What I had done, and not done. How little I knew, how little I understooG´VRWKDW)UHGGLHDVNVKLPVHOI³[h]ow [it was] possible, that [he] could not have seen that behind her reticence there was all this passion, this pain? (TBE 216). /LNH$OH[)UHGGLHDSSHDUVWRSD\DORWRIDWWHQWLRQWR'DSKQH¶VH[WHUQDODSSHDUDQFH and her habitual way of doing things. He says that he loved to watch his wife going about the ordinary business of life and that these moments solidified his love for her.

16 I do not know that I loved Daphne in the manner that the world understands by that word, but I do know that I loved her ways. Will it seem strange, cold, perhaps even inhuman, if I say I was RQO\LQWHUHVWHGUHDOO\LQZKDWVKHZDVRQWKHVXUIDFH" « 7KLVLVWKHRQO\ZD\DQRWKHUFUHDWXUH can be known: on the surfaceWKDW¶VZKHUHWKHUHLVGHSWh.9 (TBE 72)

,Q%DQYLOOH¶VODWHVWQRYHOThe Blue Guitar, Oliver confesses that he does not really NQRZKLVZLIH³,ZLVK,XQGHUVWRRGP\ZLIHDOLWWOHEHWWHUWKDQ,GR,PHDQ,ZLVK, NQHZKHUEHWWHU´ TBG 91). Moreover, 3ROO\¶VGLVWUHVVDIWHUWKHaffair between her and Oliver has come out, makes Oliver extremely uncomfortable.

,VKRXOGKDYHJDWKHUHGKHULQP\DUPVWRFRPIRUWKHUEXW,GLGQ¶WNQRZKRZWRPDQDJHLWVR DPRUSKRXVDVKDSHVKHVHHPHGFURXFKLQJWKHUHKHUVKRXOGHUVKHDYLQJ « (VFDSH yes, escape was all I could think of. Where now was all that reinvigorated tenderness for my darling girl « ":KHUHLQGHHG,IHOWSDUDO\]HG$ZHHSLQJZRPDQLVDWHUULEOHVSHFWDFOH. (TBG 134)

Polly criticizes 2OLYHU¶V self-FHQWUHGQHVVE\VD\LQJWKDW³[he] never notice[s] anything WKDW¶VQRW>KLP@VHOI´ TBG  2OLYHU¶Vinability to feel empathy for others makes him a prototypical Banvillian narrator who is insensitive, egoistic and unable to love since ³/RYH>LV@>W@KHVHFUHWLQJUHGLHQW>KH@DOZD\VIRUJHW>V@DERXWDQGOHDYH>V@RXW´ (TBG 107). Moreover, Oliver remarks that ³DQLQQHUEDUUHQSODLQDQ(PSW\4XDUWHU ZKHUHFROGLQGLIIHUHQFHUHLJQV « >LV@LQ>KLP@WKHVHDWRIZKDWLVSRSXODUO\FDOOHG WKHKHDUW´ TBG 192). Oliver admits that he is only able to feel pity and empathy for KLPVHOI³)RUZKDWRUZKRPZRXOG,ZHHS")RUP\VHOIRIFRXUVHIRUZKRPHOVHGR, HYHUZHHS"´ TBG 219). Thus, %DQYLOOH¶V ILFWLRQDO ZRPHQ DUH UHGXFHG WR VHOI-objects, used as mirroring surfaces with no emotional input of their own. The following chapter will discuss how D ODFN RI PLUURULQJ DQG WKH FRQIURQWDWLRQ ZLWK WKH RWKHU¶V alterity result in the QDUUDWRU¶Vshame.

9 This is also a reference to Nietzsche, who is often, though implicitly, quoted in the The Book of Evidence.

17

3. The Other in the Form of Shame: The Female Gaze and Threatening Corporeality

3.1. Eyes of Shame

6KDPH LV D FHQWUDO WKHPH LQ %DQYLOOH¶V QRYHOV DQG LW LV DV WKLV FKDSWHU ZLOO LOOXVWUDWHFORVHO\OLQNHGWRWKHQDUFLVVLVW¶VFRQIURQWDWLRQZLWKWKH(female) other. This FKDSWHUZLOOEXLOGRQ'¶KRNHU¶VVWXG\Visions of Alterity LQZKLFKVKHDUJXHVWKDW³the representation of alterity in terms of physicality or materiality [is something] which >%DQYLOOH¶V@ prRWDJRQLVWV DOZD\V VHHN WR HYDGH´ '¶Koker Visions of Alterity 217). This chapter will provide textual examples from the novels The Book of Evidence, in which eyes are the main catalysers IRU )UHGGLH¶V PXUGHU Eclipse, in which $OH[¶V shame causes him to quit his acting career and The Blue Guitar, in which Oliver claims to be immune to shame, which will be nuanced10. First of all, shame LVDQLPSRUWDQWDVSHFWLQWKHUHVHDUFKRIQDUFLVVLVP³&OLQLFDO psychologists have long noted the central role of shame in narcissism, calling it the ³NH\-VWRQHDIIHFW´RIWKHGLVRUGHU´ 5RELQV7UDF\ 6KDYHU 2¶&RQQHOOKDVDOVR discussed shame in his book John %DQYLOOH¶V 1DUFLVVLVWLF )LFWLRQV as an important aspect RIQDUFLVVLVP³For Reich, narcissism is a matter of drastic extremes and rapid UHYHUVDOV ³XQVXEOLPDWHG HURWL]HG PDQLF VHOI-inflation easily shifts to a feeling of utter dejection, of ZRUWKOHVVQHVV DQG WR K\SRFKRQGULDFDO DQ[LHWLHV 2¶&RQQHOO  . For the narcissist, the confrontation with the other is unsettling because his identity is QRWVXIILFLHQWO\DQFKRUHG2¶&RQQHOOZULWHVWKDW³ZKDWWKHQDUFLVVLVWLFZLVKHVQHYHUWR have to face, but inevitably must [is] the largely repressed other self which he imagines himself to have transcended through careful self-sculpting, but which LQHYLWDEO\UHWXUQVLQWKHIRUPRIVKDPH´ 2¶&RQQHOO Moreover, the psychoanalyst Mary Ayers connects shame with the scrutinizing eyes of the other. In her book Mother-Infant Attachment and Psychoanalysis ± The Eyes of Shame, her central argument is that ³DQ LQVXIILFLHQF\ RI >WKH PRWKHU¶V@ UHVSRQVLYHQHVV WR WKH QHHG RI

10 In this chapter, Mefisto is not included in the analysis as shame is not a central theme in that novel.

18 mirroring, affirmation, merger and idealization11 «  OHDGV WR D SULPDU\ LQWHUQDO shaming eye focussed on the depleted, fragmented self with its failures and inadequacies (Ayers 30). $\HUVH[SODLQVWKDW³>I@RUWKHSHUVRQZKRVXIIHUVIURPWKH earliest dimensions of shame, the evocative power of eyes and faces is massively DPSOLILHG´ $\HUV   RI ZKLFK %DQYLOOH¶V The Book of Evidence is a good illustration. 2¶&RQQHOO wrote WKDW³>S@HUKDSV PRUHWKDQDQ\ RWKHURI %DQYLOOH¶V SURWDJRQLVWV >)UHGGLH@ LV JLYHQ WR DOWHUQDWH H[WUHPHV RI QDUFLVVLVP DQG VKDPH´ DV ³>K@LV UDWKHU grandiose image of himself is repeatedly undercut, often in the most visceral of language, by his sense of self-ORDWKLQJ´ 2¶&RQQHOO   Indeed, in his testimony, Freddie presents himself favourably WRWKHUHDGHUDV³WKLUW\-eight, a man of parts, with D ZLIH DQG D VRQ DQG DQ LPSUHVVLYH 0HGLWHUUDQHDQ WDQ´ DQG VD\V WKDW KH ³FDUULHG [him]self with gravitas and a cHUWDLQIDLQWDLURIPHQDFH´ TBE 42). However, Freddie LPPHGLDWHO\DGGVWRWKLVGHVFULSWLRQKRZKLVPRWKHUVDZWKURXJKKLVSUHWHQFH³DQG [my mother], what did she do? ± she pinched my belly and laughed her phlegmy laugh. Is it any wonder I have ended up iQMDLO"´ TBE  )UHGGLH¶VLPDJHRIKLPVHOI is undermined by the image his mother has of him, which causes his ego to deflate, a narcissistic affront which, so he claims, is the reason why he ended up in jail. On another occasionDV2¶&RQQHOOUHPDUNHG Freddie writes that he and his wife Daphne ³ZHUHKHURHV´ TBE 11) and when he ³ORRNHGLQWKHLU >RWKHUSHRSOH¶V@ eyes [he] saw [him]self enobled there (TBE 11). Nevertheless, Freddie suspects that others are perpetually scrutinizing him. For example, when Freddie was still unemployed, Charlie French, an acquaintance of the family, offered him an office job. As Freddie recalls his three-\HDUORQJHPSOR\PHQWWKHUHKHWHOOVKLVUHDGHUWKDW³>KH@KD>V@WKH feeling of having done something ridLFXORXV E\ WDNLQJ WKDW MRE´ ZKLFK ZDV ³XQZRUWK\RI>KLP@RIFRXUVHRI>KLV@WDOHQW´ TBE 135). He reflects on that job offer saying that ³>KH@MXVWIHOWDQGIHHO>V@ « DOLWWOHULGLFXORXVDOLWWOHHPEDUUDVVHG´DQG WKDWKH³QHYHUTXLWHIRUJDYH&KDUOLH )UHQFK´ TBE 136). Freddie still silently holds a grudge against his friend Charlie, as if offering that job was a way to humiliate him instead of a kind offer. Several years later, when Freddie piled up a large sum of debt,

11 Ayers explains this process RI PLUURULQJ DV IROORZV ³>W@KH PRWKHU¶V IDFH LV WKH LQIDQW¶V ILUVW UHIOHFWLRQRIKHULQQHUVHOIDQGLWLVWKURXJKKHUPRWKHU¶VPLUURULQJDQGUHVSRQVLYHQHVVWKDWWKHFKLOG EHJLQVWRGHYHORSDVHQVHRIEHLQJDQGLQWHJUDWHLQWHQVHHPRWLRQVDQGLQVWLQFWV´ Ayers 61).

19 he starts self-shaming himself IRUKLVIDLOXUH³,IHOWDVPXFKIRROLVKQHVVDVIHDU,IHOW ULGLFXORXV,WZDVXQUHDOWKHIL[,KDGJRWP\VHOILQWR « WKHUHZRXOGZHOOXSLQPH a hot flush of terror and shame ± VKDPHWKDWLVIRUP\RZQVWXSLGLW\ « WKDWKDG landed me in such a deDORIVRXS´ TBE 20 ± 21). Moreover, when Freddie is in the company of women he VXVSHFWVWKDWLQKLVDEVHQFHWKH\DUH³lobbing remarks at each other in a comically solemn version of [his] voice and laughing softly, in that jaded way they had, as if the joke were not really funny, just ridiculous´ (TBE 66). ,Q WKH KRXUV OHDGLQJ XS WR KLV FULPH )UHGGLH¶V SDUDQRLD IRU VFUXWLQL]LQJ H\HV increases drastically and he is prey to violent outbursts of shame, which are disproportional to their affects. For instance, when Freddie orders a cab to take him to ZKDWZLOOODWHUEHNQRZQDVWKHFULPHVFHQH³WKHGULYHUZDVZDWFKLQJ>KLP@LQWKH PLUURU QRZ ZLWK UDSW H[SHFWDQF\´ so that he ³PRXQWed the steps pursued by an XQVKDNDEOH VHQVDWLRQ RI JHQHUDO PRFNHU\´ TBE 76). A few moments later, when Freddie gets out of the cab, he describes how the windows of a house turned into PRFNLQJ H\HV ³:KHQ , ORRNHG EDFN DW WKH KRXVH WKH ZLQGRZV ZHUH DEOD]H DQG VHHPHGWREHODXJKLQJIDWO\LQGHULVLRQ´ TBE 80).12 After committing the crime, this feeling is even more aggravated: not only people and objects, but also the air itself seems to fix its eyes on him. Freddie describes how ³DW >&KDUOLH¶V@ EDFN >LH WKH ZLQGRZ@>ZDV@DZKLWHLPSHQHWUDEOHJODUH « >@WKLVVHDULQJLQHVFDpable light [ and WKDW@ >KH@ ORRNHG DW >KLP@VHOI DQG >KH@ IRXQG >KH@ ZDV QDNHG´ TBE 138). His QDNHGQHVVKHUHLVQRWWREHWDNHQOLWHUDOO\LWLVUDWKHUWKHQDUFLVVLVW¶VVHQVHRIEHLQJ unmasked, exposed to the world. These examples clearly illustrate FreddLH¶V LQFUHDVHGSDUDQRLDLQWKHIRUPRID³IUHH-IORDWLQJJD]H´ %RQRPL IURPZKLFKKH cannot hide. When Freddie visits the family that has bought his PRWKHU¶V valuable paintings in the hope of retrieving them, his attention is drawn to a mysterious woman in a Dutch painting.13 Freddie describes how ³>I@URPWKHGHSWKVRIWKHURRPDSDLURIH\HVORRNHG RXWGDUNFDOPXQVHHLQJ´ TBE 83) so that ³>D@VRUWRIVK\QHss made [him] keep [his]

12 2¶&RQQHOOOLQNVWKHQDUFLVVLVW¶VIHHOLQJRIEHLQJFRQVWDQWO\ZDWFKHGZLWK.OHLVW¶VHVVD\µ7KH3XSSHW 7KHDWUH¶  DQLQWHUHVWLQJSRLQWRIYLHZZKLFKJRHVEH\RQGWKHVFRSHRIWKLVSDSHU 13 ,Q KHU DUWLFOH ³

20 eyes averted from the other end of the room, where the picture leaned out a little from WKHZDOODVLIOLVWHQLQJLQWHQWO\´ TBE 82). These eyes and the ³IRUWLWXGHDQGSDWKRV RI KHU SUHVHQFH´ TBE 79) deeply affect )UHGGLH ZKR WHVWLILHV WKDW ³>W@KHUH LV something in the way the woman regards [him], the querulous, mute insistence of her eyes, which [he] can neither escape nor assuage[, he] squirm[s] in the grasp of her JD]H´ TBE 105). Held captive by the painted womDQ¶VVWDUH)UHGGLHLVVXEMHFWHGWR an overwhelming wave of shame.

I stood there staring, for what seemed a long time, and gradually a kind of embarrassment took hold of me, a hot, shamefaced awareness of myself, as if somehow I, this soiled sack of flesh, ZHUHWKHRQHZKRZDVEHLQJVFUXWLQLVHGZLWKFDUHIXOFROGDWWHQWLRQ´ TBE 79). It was not just WKHZRPDQ¶VSDLQWHGVWDUHWKDWZDWFKHGPH(YHU\WKLQJLQWKHSLFWXUHWKDWEURRFKWKRVHJORYHV the flocculent darkness at her back, every spot on the canvas was an eye fixed on me unblinkingly. (TBE 79)14

'¶KRNHUargues that the power of the eyes of the painted woman lies in their ethical FDOO³(PPDQXHO/HYLQDV¶VHWKLFDOSHUVSHFWLYHLQZKLFKWKHIDFHRIWKHRWKHU± here represented in the strong gaze of a woman ± challenges the self to respect the alterity of the other, to let the RWKHU OLYH DV RWKHU´ '¶KRNHU ³3RUWUDLW RI WKH 2WKHU DV D :RPDQLQ*ORYHV´ 24). Freddie seems to correctly interpret the meaning of the Dutch ODG\¶VH\HVDVKHUHPDUNVWKDW³LWZDVDVLIVKHZHUHDVNLQJ>KLP@WROHWKHUOLYH´ TBE  $VDUHVSRQVHWRKLVµHWKLFDOUHVSRQVLELOLW\¶)UHGGLHQRZSURFHHGVWRLQYHQWD fictioQDODFFRXQWRIWKHZRPDQ¶VOLIHThis fictional woman bears many resemblances ZLWK)UHGGLHVKHLV³WKLUW\-five, thirty-VL[´ TBE 105), which is about the same age as KLPDQGVKHDOVR³GLGQRWOLNHKHUPRWKHU´ TBE 105). Moreover, Freddie projects his own sensation of being SHQHWUDWHGE\WKHSDLQWHGZRPDQ¶s eyes by imagining how the painter¶VJODUH exposed the posing Dutch lady³1RRQHKDVHYHUORRNHGDWKHU [the painted woman] like this before. So this is what it is to be known! It is almost

14 5HPDUNDEO\)UHGGLHKDVWKHVHQVDWLRQWKDWQRWRQO\WKHSDLQWHGZRPDQ¶VH\HVEXWDOVRLQDQLPDWH objects seem to fix their eye on him. This phenomenon might be explained by a quote featured in *KDVVHPL¶VGRFWRUDWHVWXG\³$QWRQLR4XLQHW>ZKo] observes that while the gaze as object a14 ³KDVQR FRQVLVWHQF\ QR VXEVWDQFH´ LW FDQ EH ³UHSUHVHQWHG´ DV ³DEHDP RI OLJKW D JOLQW LQ VRPHRQH¶V H\H D UHIOHFWLRQLQVRPHRQH¶VKDLU´HYHQ³DMHZHOZKLFKVKLQHVFDQUHSUHVHQWDJD]H´ ´ (Ghassemi 153).

21 LQGHFHQW´ TBE  '¶KRNHUGHVFULEHV)UHGGLH¶s use of projection and mirroring to represent the Dutch lady in the painting and his failure to respond to her ethical call.

Thus, Freddie, far from understanding the woman in the portrait, simply creates the woman as a mirror image of himself. By projecting his own thoughts and feelings on the painting, he reduces the woman to his own plans and purposes, effectively destroying her singularity and difference. '¶Koker ³3RUWUDLWRIWKH2WKHUDVD:RPDQLQ*ORYHV´ 28)

Freddie, unsettled by her demanding gaze, not only decides to make up a fictional life for this painted personality, but also wants to steal her. This is again a complete GLVUHJDUG IRU WKH ZRPDQ¶V RWKHUQHVV EHFDXVH VKH DV ³>his@ SLFWXUH´ TBE 109), is reduced to an object of possession. Coughlan states that ³)UHGGLH¶VLPPHGLDWHZLVKWR SRVVHVVWKHSDLQWLQJDQGWKHVXEVHTXHQWWKHIWOLWHUDOO\ « HQDFWZKDWLVRIWHQPHUHO\ figuratively±WHUPHGDVWKHPDOHGHVLUHWRSRVVHVVWKHIHPDOHERG\´ &RXJKODQ  The painting is not the only woman he steals: he also kidnaps Josie Bell, who caught him in the act of stealing. Josie Bell, DQRWKHU ³ZLGH-H\HG´ ³SUHVHQFH ZDWFKLQJ >KLP@´ TBE 110) had the most extraordinary pale, violet eyes, [which] seemed transparent, [and] when [he] looked into them [he] felt [he] was seeing clear through her head (TBE 111), which mirrors the description of the painter who looked straight through the Woman with Gloves. $FFRUGLQJWR'¶KRNHU-RVLH%HOO imposes a second ethical call on Freddie, which increases his sense of being watched as he describes how the world seemed OLNHD³XQLYHUVHRIH\HV´ $\HUV IXOORI³SKDQWRPVSHFWDWRUV´

:KDW,IHOWPRVWVWURQJO\ « >ZDV@DJULHYRXVVHQVHRIHPEDUUDVVPHQW,ZDVPRUWLILHG,KDG never been so exposed in all my life. People were looking at me ± she in the back seat, and the tourists up there jostling at the window, but also, it seemed, a host of others, of phantom spectators. (TBE 112)

When he kidnaps Josie Bell in his car, she revolts against him, both physically and verbally. 2¶&RQQHOOZULWHVWKDW³KHUmere otherness, her recalcitrance in the face of KLVZLOOLVDQLQWROHUDEOHDIIURQWWR>)UHGGLH¶V@QDUFLVVLVP´ 2¶&RQQHOO ZKRKDV ³QHYHUIHOWDQRWKHU¶VSUHVHQFHVRLPPHGLDWHO\DQGZLWKVXFKUDZIRUFH´ TBE 113). This overwhelming manifestation of anoWKHU¶VDOWHULW\gives Freddie the final push to murder -RVLH%HOOKHFUXVKHVKHUVNXOOZLWKDKDPPHUILUVWKLWWLQJ³DERYHKHUOHIW

22 H\H´EXWDVVKHZDVVWLOO³ORRNLQJDW>KLP@ZLWKH\HVWKDWZRXOGQRWIRFXVSURSHUO\´ (TBE 113) and tried once more to attack him, he hit a final blow until at last she ³FORVHGKHUH\HVDQGWXUQHGDZD\IURP>KLP@´ TBE 114). By killing her, the threat of WKHRWKHUPDQLIHVWHGLQ WKHJLUO¶VJD]H and body, is destroyed and he subsequently IDLOVLQUHVSRQGLQJWRWKHJLUO¶Vµethical call¶. Instead, as with the painting, he projects his own feelings and thoughts on to Josie Bell. '¶KRNHULOOXVWUDWHVKRZ ³>L@QVWHDGRI imaginatively and thoroughly reconstructing the life, thoughts, and feelings of Josie Bell, Freddie furnishes heUZLWKDIHZVHUYDQWVWHUHRW\SHV´ '¶KRNHU³3RUWUDLWRIWKH 2WKHUDVD:RPDQZLWK*ORYHV´ .15 In addition, Freddie also claims that when he struck the final blow, Josie Bell murmured the following words³0DPP\ZDVZKDW she said, that was the word, not TRPP\,¶YHMXVWWKLVPRPHQWUHDOL]HGLW0DPP\ DQGWKHQORYH´ TBE 148). This, rather than a veritable representation of WKHPDLG¶V words, sounds more like a slip of the tongue by Freddie, who is haunted by his bad relationship with his mother. After Freddie has destroyed the servant girl, he can no longer bear the shaming FRQGHPQLQJH\HRIWKH SDLQWLQJDQGGXPSVLW +HVD\V WKDW ³>W@KHZRPDQZLWK WKH JORYHVJDYH>KLP@DODVWGLVPLVVLYHVWDUH´DQGWKDW³>V@KHKDGH[SHFWHGQREHWWHURI >KLP@´ TBE 119). Nevertheless, Freddie still has a replica of the painting in his prison cell and describes how ³WKDW'XWFKILJXUHLQWKHSLFWXUH « JD]HGDW>KLP@ VFHSWLFDOLQTXLVLWLYHDQGFDOP´ TBE 92). When Freddie is imprisoned, he is perhaps able to experience the therapeutic powers of the gaze. When the date of his trial DGYDQFHVDOOH\HVRIWKHPHGLDDUHIRFXVHGRQKLP)UHGGLHVD\VWKDWKH³KDGQHYHULQ >KLV@OLIHEHHQVRHQWLUHO\WKHFHQWUHRIDWWHQWLRQ´DQGWKDW³>I@URPQRZRQ>KH@ZRXOG be watched over, [he] would be tended and fed and listened to, like a big, dangerous EDEH´ TBE 193). His choice of words here refer directly to the infantile stage where WKH ³EDEH´ LV GHSHQGHQW RQ WKH PRWKHU IRU ³EHLQJ WHQGHG DQG IHG DQG OLVWHQHG WR´ perhaps an indication that his existential shame can be traced back to his infantile years. 7R HQG ZLWK WKH ILQDO VHQWHQFHV RI WKH ERRN VXP XS )UHGGLH¶V SDWKRORJLFDO shame and provide clear evidence that shame is indeed one of the central themes of the novel.

15 '¶KRNHUZULWHVWKDW³)UHGGLH « LQYRNHVWKLVLPDJH± almost stereotypical in Irish literature ± of the VK\GLVFUHHWREHGLHQWFRXQWU\JLUOZKRKDVJRQHWRVHUYHLQWKH%LJ+RXVH´ '¶KRNHU³3RUWUDLWRIWKH 2WKHUDVD:RPDQLQ*ORYHV´

23

,W¶VP\VWRU\, VDLGDQG,¶PVWLFNLQJWRLW

[Inspector Haslet] laughed at that. Come on, Freddie, he said, how much of it is true?

True, Inspector? I said. All of it. None of it. Only the shame. (TBE 220)

Comparable to Freddie, Alex, the protagonist of Eclipse and Ancient Light, is prey to increased self-awareness and shame caused by his feeling of being constantly observed by an external eye. $OH[ H[SODLQV KRZ ³>I@rom the earliest days life for >KLP@ZDVDSHUSHWXDOVWDWHRIEHLQJZDWFKHG´DQGKH³LPDJLQH>G@Whe world [to be] possessed of a single, avid eye fixed solely and always on him´ (Eclipse 10). This can be interpreted as a V\PSWRP RI H[LVWHQWLDO VKDPH DV ³>t]o the person who suffers shame, the world is full of eyes, crowded with things and people that FDQVHH´ $\HUV  7KHVHH[WHUQDOH\HVDUHLQWHUQDOL]HGDV/\GLDDSWO\FDOOV$OH[D³PRQVWHURIVHOI UHJDUG´ Eclipse 150) and cause him to be increasingly self-aware, or suffer from a ³PDODG\RIVHOIQHVV´ Eclipse 90). As a result, Alex has an increased sensitivity for the eyes of the others. His second lover Dora, for instance, has a very arrogant and hard stare, which at the same time appears to mock Alex, causing him to blush in shame and avert his gaze.

$V,VRXJKWRXWWRFDWFKWKHEDUPDQ¶VH\H,ZDVDZDUHRI'RUD¶VFDQGLGJD]HURDPLQJRYHUP\ face, my hands, my clothes. When I turned back to her, she did not look away, only lifted her FKLQDQGJDYHPHDKDUGEUD]HQVPLOLQJVWDUH « 6KHZDVVWLOOORRNLQJLQWRP\IDFHZLWKWKDW challenging, half-mocking smile, and I grew flustered and kept trying to avoid her eye. (Eclipse 85)

The essence of this paragraph is her dominant female stare, which at the same time QHYHUDFNQRZOHGJHGKLPDV³>KH@QHYHUIHOW>KH@KDG>'RUD¶V@IXOODWWHQWLRQ´ Eclipse 86). For Alex, a narcissistic actor who has learned to master his visibility, not being acknowledged by the other is a personal affront, which one of his nightmares illustrates. In that dream, he is a torturer who fails to have impact on his victim, which he experienFHVDVWKHXOWLPDWHKXPLOLDWLRQ³I was irresistible, not to be withstood; all succumbed, sooner or later, under my terrible ministrations. All, that is, except this bearded hero, who was defeating me simply by not paying me sufficient attention, by

24 QRW DFNQRZOHGJLQJ PH´ (Eclipse 110). $OH[¶V ³PDVWHUHG YLVLELOLW\´ %RQRPL   also fails when he LV SOD\LQJ WKH UROH RI $PSKLWU\RQ DQG ³VHHV >KLPVHOI@ GRXEO\ reflected [in the eyes of his co-player]WZRWLQ\EXOERXV$PSKLWU\RQV´ Eclipse 89). After AlH[¶VFROODSVHRQVWDJH, he quit his acting career and ³KLG>KLV@KHDGLQVKDPH´ because ³[h]ow could [he] show [his] face in public, to [his] public, after the mask KDG VR VSHFWDFXODUO\ VOLSSHG"´ Eclipse 91). Thus, his mask of superiority, the QDUFLVVLVW¶V SULPDO GHIHQFH DJDLQVW WKH LQWHUQal and external shaming eye, had GURSSHG³LQGHHGWKLVLVWKHYHU\HVVHQFHRIWKHQLJKWPDUHWKDWDOOWKHDWULFDOSUHVHQFH has been stripped away, and with it all protecWLRQ´ AL 163). Remarkably, like Freddie who refers to himself as a dangerous babe, Alex also uses a vocabulary attached to childhood in order to describe his feeling of shame and increased self- DZDUHQHVV +H VD\V WKDW KH ³IHHO>V@ DW RQFH QHZERUQ DQG LPPHQVHO\ ROG>@ «  KHOSOHVVDV DQLQIDQW´DQGWKDWKH³PDUYHO>V@DWWKHPDWWHU>KLV@ERG\SURGXFHVWKH VWRROVWKHFUXVWVRIVQRWWKHLQILQLWHVLPDOFUHHSRIILQJHUQDLOVDQGKDLU´ Eclipse 52). Thus, the excruciating feeling of shame is associated with the infantile years of complete dependence on the mother, which, as with Freddie, might be linked to $\HUV¶ assumption that existential shame originates from a troubled mother-infant relationship. In The Blue Guitar2OLYHUVWULNHVDQLQWHUHVWLQJOLQH³0D\EH,¶PLQFDSDEOHRIWUXH VKDPH´ TBG 150). And indeed, when his wife Gloria confronts him with his affair, Oliver seems to be rather disinterested and bored than ashamed. However, when his mistress Polly finds out about his thieving, Oliver, the narcissistic painter, is shamefully confronted with an unfavourable reflection of himself.

But that I should have been found out by Polly, that indeed she should have known all along about my thieving, that was a great shock and humiliation, though humiliation and shock are inadequate terms in which to describe my state. I seemed to have suffered a physical attack; it was as if a stick had been stuck into my innards and waggled violently about, and I thought for a second I might be sick on the spot. Something had been taken from me, something secret and precious. (TBG 177)

,Q DGGLWLRQ 2OLYHU VKDUHV $OH[¶V DQG )UHGGLH¶V increased sensitivity for eyes and believes that ³>W@KHZRUOG¶V final task, as [he] knew well, a task it never relaxed from, ZDV WR XQGR >KLP@´ TBG 139). His vulnerability to everything that is not himself feeds his paranoia so that he even suspects that DQLPDOVDUHPRFNLQJKLP³7KH\GRQ¶W

25 fool me, animals, with their pretence of dullness: I see the look in their eye that they WU\ WR KLGH EXW FDQ¶W WKH\ DOO NQRZ VRPHWKLQJ DERXW PH WKDW , GRQ¶W´ TBG 155). Thus, like Freddie and Alex who imagine that the world is fixing its eyes on them, in The Blue Guitar ³WKHJD]HLV « H[SHULHQFHGDs a disembodied forcH´(Bonomi 110). To conclude with%DQYLOOH¶VSURWDJRQLVWVZKHQFRQIURQWHGZLWKWKHH\HVRIWKH (female) other, are prey to existential shame. The following chapter will focus on another threatening aspect of women, namely their sexual dominance.

3.2. Female Bodies, Sexual Agency and Conspiracy

Critics VXFKDV'¶KRNHU*KDVVHPLDQG0OOHU have already noted the dichotomy in %DQYLOOH¶V ILFWLRQ EHWZHHQ corpulent and more ³HOXVLYH´ 0OOHU  women. '¶KRNHU enriched this argument by noting that ³it is especially the fascinating and WKUHDWHQLQJ FRUSRUHDOLW\ RI WKH ³ZKRUHV´ ZKLFK GULYHV %DQYLOOH¶V SURWDJRQLVW WR pODWRQLFORYHIRUWKH³YLUJLQV´´ '¶+RNHUVisions of Alterity 144). Even though the ZRPHQ¶VFRUSRUeality is at times overwhelming, I would like to argue that it is their female agency the narrator finds especially threatening. This chapter will first briefly illustrate the existing binary division between the more mature, full-figured wives and mistresses and WKH VNLQQ\ ³shadowy or insubsWDQWLDO´ *KDVVemi 206) girls, which RIWHQUHVHPEOHWKHQDUUDWRU¶VGDXJKWHU. Secondly, the narrator¶s fear of female agency and his subsequent fantasies of weak and controllable women will be illustrated. Lastly, this chapter will give examples of WKH QDUUDWRU¶V IHDU of female conspiracy, staged in the novels by real or imaginative ménages à trois. First of all, %DQYLOOH¶VZRPHQFDQEHVXEGLYLGHGLQWRPRUHVWRXWDQGVXEVWDQWLDO women and more skinny and airy girls.16 '¶KRNHU KDV already remarked that in Mefisto ³6RSKLH FOHDUO\ IXQFWLRQV DV WKH JD\ QDWXUDO DQG IOHVK\ FRXQWHUSDUW RI WKH VNLQQ\DEVHQWDQGP\VWHULRXV$GHOH´ '¶KRNHUVisions of Alterity 140). In the other ERRNV WKH QDUUDWRU¶V ZLYHV DQG PLVWUHVVHV DUH PRVWO\ IXOO-figured, whereas the daughter-like figures are often more skinny. In The Book of Evidence, Freddie¶s wife

16 Even though thLVELQDU\GLYLVLRQLVFOHDUO\GHWHFWDEOHLQ%DQYLOOH¶VQRYHOVVRPHWLPHV women can possess both opulent and airy qualities. For instance, in Ancient Light, Alex says that ³>D@V ZHOO DV fleshiness she [Mrs Gray] possessed too a quality of lightness, of grace, that not the daintiest slip of a JLUOFRXOGPDWFK´ AL 127).

26 Daphne ³ZDV DELJZRPDQQRW IDW QRW KHDY\HYHQEXW \HWZHLJKW\´ TBE 8). In Eclipse, $OH[¶V /\GLD whose ³QDPH EHVSRNH for [him@ D SK\VLFDO RSXOHQFH´ LV FKDUDFWHUL]HG E\ KHU ³IXOOQHVV WKH VHQVH VKH JDYH RI ILOOLQJ ZKDWHYHU VKH ZRUH´ (Eclipse 35). In Ancient Light, Ghassemi also discerned an opposition between heavy and weightless women ³PDQLIHVWLQWKHGHVFULSWLRRI0UV*UD\¶V³EX[RP´EXLOW  RQ WKHRQHKDQGDQG'DZQ'DYHQSRUW¶V³OLWWOHDQGVHHPLQJO\ZHLJKWOHVVERG\´  RQ WKHRWKHU´ *KDVVHPL . 'DZQ'HYRQSRUW³DVOLJKWSHUVRQ´DQG³LPSRVVLEO\WKLQ´ (AL 90), reminds Alex of CDVV ³7KHUH ZDV VRPHWKLQJ DERXW KHU DERXW WKH combination in her of frailty and faint mannishness, that was a sharp reminder of my GDXJKWHU´ AL 96). In The Blue Guitar, 2OLYHU¶V *ORULD ³>D@W WKLUW\-ILYH «  KDG attained the full glory of splendour of maWXULW\´ TBG 9), his lover 3ROO\ LV ³full- figured, biggish in the beam´ TBG 7) and his previous mistress Anneliese ZDV ³D thick-set girl, with a nice roll of puppy-fat around the waist (TBG 70). Indeed, '¶KRNHU¶VDUJXPHQWWKDW%DQYLOOH¶VQDUUDWRUVVOHHSZLWKPRUHFRUSRUHDOZRPHQDQG have platonic relationships with more bony women is predominantly veritable, however leaves the threat of female agency undiscussed. Secondly, the narrator is not necessarily SXWRIIE\DZRPDQ¶VERG\RIIOHVKDQG blood, but rather eschews women as sexual agents. Coughlan already wrote that ³[i]n %DQYLOOH¶V ZKROH ZRUN ZKHUH IHPDOH FKDUDFWHUV DUH HQGRZHG ZLWK DJHQF\ LW LV predominantly figured as sexual and manipulaWLYH´ &RXJKODQ %DQYLOOH¶VQRYHOV Eclipse and Ancient Light provide solid illustrations for the threat of female dominance. In these novels, the protagonist Alex prefers it when his wife Lydia is Eclipse 38) during sexual intercourse and remembers that his teenage ³KHOSOHVV>׎]´ lover 0UV *UD\ ³ZDV QHYHU VR GHVLUDEOH WR >KLP@ DV LQ « moments of reluctant VXUUHQGHU´ AL 125). In fact the mature and maternal Mrs Gray, who initiated their affair, VHHPHGWRKLP³DJLDQWHVs looming over [him], a figure of unassailable erotic SRZHU´ AL 126). The impression her sexuality made on young Alex can be illustrated by one of his nightmares. In this nightmare Alex dreams about ³DFURFRGLOH´ AL 116) that metamorphosed into ³D GDUNO\ ORYHO\ \RXQJ ZRPDQ´ ZKR ³ZDV ZDLWLQJ impatiently and in some irritation for [him] WRGRVRPHWKLQJIRUKHU´ZKLFKFDXVHG him to be ³EXUGHQHG EH\RQG [his] years with cares and responsibilities´ AL 117). Perhaps this dream denotes $OH[¶V IHDU to ³VurrendHU´ AL 117) WR 0UV *UD\¶V seduction.

27 In contrast, Alex frequently entertains cruel fantasies about women in his power, one of which is his doll Megg. +H WHVWLILHV WKDW ³>W@KHUH ZDV VRPHWKLQJ DERXW WKH GROO¶V OLJKWQHVV LWV KROORZQHVV ± «  ± that made [him] feel protective and at the VDPHWLPHDSSHDOHGWRDQDVFHQWVWUHDNRIHURWLFFUXHOW\LQ>KLP@´ AL 153). The doll is the epitome of a woman that lacks any initiative and will of her own and is completely subjected to $OH[¶VRZQ desires. Similarly, as ³a boy [Alex] had in [his] PLQG¶V H\H WKH SODWRQLFDOO\ SHUIHFW JLUO D FUHDWXUH EODQG DV D PDQLNLQ WKDW GLG QRW VZHDWRUJRWRWKHODYDWRU\WKDWZDVGRFLOHDGRULQJDQGIDEXORXVO\FRPSOLDQW´ AL 126). A few things are noteworthy here: $OH[¶VIDQWDV\ girl is not only D ³perfect´ ³PDQLNLQ´ZLWK³EODQG´IHDWXUHV, she is also inhuman, deprived of an organic body aQG ³IDEXORXVO\ FRPSOLDQW´ RU servile. Furthermore, Alex¶V ³LGHDO RI PDWXUH womanhood was the Kayser Bondor lady, a foot-high, cut-out cardboard EHDXW\´ AL 29), again a two-dimensional image deprived of a human body. In The Book of Evidence, Freddie, while having sexual intercourse with his wife Daphne, OLNHGKHU³VRIWJUH\JD]HVWDULQJKHOSOHVVO\´³WKDWSDLQHGGHIHQFHOHVVORRN´ on her face DQGKHHYHQWULHG³WRKDYHKHUZHDUKHUVSHFWDFOHVZKHQ>WKH\@ZHUHLQ EHG OLNH WKLV VR VKH ZRXOG VHHP HYHQ PRUH ORVW PRUH GHIHQFHOHVV´ TBE 8 - 9). Similarly to Freddie, Gabriel, the protagonist of Mefisto, prefers weak and vulnerable women. Gabriel strikes a deal with Adele, a junkie, to trade sex with drugs and, when she refuses to return her part of the bargain, childishly manipulates her ³

,OLIWHGKHUXSDQGZDONHGKHUWRWKHGRRUDQGPDGHKHUVWDQGZLWKKHUEDFNWRLW « Her thighs were cold. I listened in vague wonder to my own hoarse quickening gasps. The back of her head EHDWGXOO\DJDLQVWWKHGRRU6KHZDVODXJKLQJRUFU\LQJ,GRQ¶WNQRZZKLFK Mefisto 210)

In The Blue Guitar, Oliver also prefers women who are not aggressive in their sexuality: ³,¶YH DOZD\V IRXQGZRPHQPRVWLQWHUHVWLQJPRVWIDVFLQDWLQJPRVW \HV desirable, precisely when the circumstances in which I encounter them are least appropriate of promising´ TBG 112). Moreover, he reveals that a womaQ¶VDEVHQFH of the sexual symbol of the phallus, was precisely what aroused him.

28 The first time I got a girl into my arms and ruEEHGP\VHOIDJDLQVWKHU « ZKDt startled me and excited me deeply, however paradoxical it may sound, was the absence at the apex of her leg of DQ\WKLQJH[FHSWDPRUHRUOHVVVPRRWKERQ\EXPS « 6RPHKRZWKRXJKLWZDVWKHYHU\ODFN that seemed a promise of hitherto unimagined and delightful explorations, insubstantial transports. (TBG 75)

Thirdly, the female agency is especially threatening when two women team up against the male narrator in a troilism. In her article ³%DQYLOOHWKH)HPLQLQHDQGWKH 6FHQHVRI(URV´Coughlan GLVFXVVHG%DQYLOOH¶V ³insistent recurrence of threesomes « XVXDOO\FRQVWLWXWHG « RIDPDOHDQGWZRIHPDOHFKDUDFWHUV´ &RXJKODQ .17 For The Book of Evidence, Coughlan discussed the trio between Freddie, his future wife Daphne and her friend Anna Behrens. About this ménage à trois, Freddie relates WKDW³>L@WZDVDVWUDQJHHQFRXQWHUQHYHUWREHUHSHDWHG´ (TBE 70) since he had the IHHOLQJRIEHLQJ³LUUHVLVWLEO\SHQHWUDWHG´DQGRIEHLQJXVHGDV³DPHUHSURS « >DV@ >W@KH\ZLHOGHG>KLP@OLNHDVWRQHSKDOOXV´ TBE 70). And indeed Freddie is used as ³WKHOLQNDORQJZKLFKWKHWZRRIWKHP>'DSKQHDQGAnna] had negotiated their way, KDQG RYHU KDQG LQWR HDFK RWKHU¶V DUPV´ TBE 70). Coughlan notes that there are ³PDQ\RWKHU%DQYLOOHVFHQDULRVLQZKLFKWKHPDOHILJXUHIHHOVKLPVHOIWREHDQH[WUD or a prop, or the instrument or channel of desires which pDVVRYHUKLVHVVHQWLDOVHOI´ (Coughlan 86). Moreover, the reference to a ³stone phallus´ is a strong image of )UHGGLH¶Vemasculation by the dominant women who, with Medusa-like eyes, turn the QDUUDWRU¶V PRVW LPSRUWDQW VH[XDO V\PERO LQWR VWRQH )UHGGLH¶V GHVFULSWLRQV RI WKHLU sexual encounter illustrate this threat: he says that during his climax he had a ³FKRNLQJVHQVHRIWUDQVJUHVVLRQ´³[a]s if [he] had suffered a heart attack, which [he] suppose[s] [he] KDGLQDZD\´and that KH³IHOOXSRQWKHPH[XOWDQWDQGDIUDLG´ TBE 69). A second discernable triangle in The Book of Evidence is the trio between Freddie, his mother and the stable girl Joanne. Coughlan claims that what these two trios have in common is )UHGGLH¶V LQIDQWLOH SHUKDSV SUH-Oedipal envy: ³>O@LNH D jealous infant, [Freddie] feels excluded from the closed, quasi-hermetic converse of the two women [Daphne and Anna] ZKRVH SULRU UHODWLRQVKLS KH «  EHODWHGO\

17 In her article, Coughlan also discusses trios between two men and one woman, which is not specifically relevant for this chapter. Moreover, in The Blue Guitar, Oliver discerns the following links ³EHWZHHQ3ROO\DQG>KLP@DQG0DUFXVEHWZHHQ3ROO\DQG>KLP@DQG0DUFXVDQG*ORULD´ TBG 114), which will also not be discussed in this chapter.

29 discovers [and] [h]e later finds his mother and the girl Joanne similarly turned to each other, to his further chagrin´ &RXJKODQ  18 In Ancient Light, Alex displays the same jealousy and fear of female conspiracy with his wife Lydia and the movie recruiter Billy Striker, whose name already suggests WKDW VKH ZLOO µVWULNH¶ He wonders: ³[w]KDW FDQ WKH\ KDYH WDONHG DERXW WKRVH WZR"´ AL   DQG ³ZKDW KDG Lydia been up to with her [Billy Striker] in that long interval they had spent together GRZQVWDLUV"´ AL 76). This paranoia with regard WR ZRPHQ LV YLYLILHG LQ ³D GUHDP [he] had [the previous] night in which [his] wife had left [him] for another [butch] ZRPDQ´ AL   IURP ZKLFK KH ³ZRNH XS ZLWK DQ RSSUHVVLYH VHQVH RI ORVV DQG deprivation and all-SHUYDGLQJVDGQHVV´ AL 8). In Eclipse, Alex is also frustrated that ³&DVVZDVJRRGZLWK>KLV@PRWKHU´DQGWKDW³WKHUHZDVVRPHWKLQJEHWZHHQWKHPD FRPSOLFLW\IURPZKLFK>KH@ZDVLUULWDWHGWRILQG>KLP@VHOIH[FOXGHG´ Eclipse 115). Alex testifies that ³>W@KHUH DUH WLPHV ZKHQ >KH@ IHHO>V@ >KLP@VHOI FDXJKW XS LQ D definite, concerted and \HWVHHPLQJO\DLPOHVVFRQVSLUDF\UXQE\ZRPHQ´ AL 76). 7RFRQFOXGHZLWK%DQYLOOH¶VQDUUDWRUV have a deep-seated fear of powerful women who team up against him. Instead, he fantasizes about women who are deprived of their own sexual agency, as weak, helpless and submissive creatures in his power. 7KHQDUUDWRU¶V premature jealous, egoistic and possessive behaviour towards women will be further discussed in the following chapter.

47KH1DUUDWRU¶V3UH-Oedipal Behaviour

4.1. Mothers, Fathers and Siblings

This chapter will GLVFXVVWKHQDUUDWRU¶VVWUXJJOHIRUKLVPRWKHU¶s attention, his pre- Oedipal behaviour towards his father and the other siblings and his inability to acknowledge transgenerational boundaries. This infantile competitive mentality is typical for the narcissist, with whom the Oedipal castration usually failed so that he never learned to respect his IDWKHU¶V DXWKRULW\ DQG WR VKDUH his PRWKHU¶V ORYH DQG attention with others.

18 Coughlan discerns a third trio in The Book of Evidence, namely between Freddie, Josie Bell and the Woman in Gloves. However, since this has already been elaborately discussed in chapter three (3.1.), it will not be repeated here.

30 To begin with, tKH QDUUDWRU¶V GHPDQG IRU DWWHQWLRQ LV VR KLJh, that he often represents himself as the neglected child whose mother was remote, absent and mysterious because she can never be fully controlled or possessed by the narrator. For example, in The Book of Evidence, )UHGGLH¶VGHVFULSWLRQRIKLVPRWKHUencompasses WKH LGHD RI GLVWDQFH ³, UHFDOO KHU IURP P\ FKLOGKRRG DV D FRQVWDQW EXW UHPRWH SUHVHQFHVWDWXHVTXH « OLNHDPDUEOHILJXUHDWWKHIDUVLGHRIDODZQ´ TBE 41). The following UHYHDOVWKHXQUHOLDELOLW\RI)UHGGLH¶VPHPRULHVDVhis mother, only quoted in the indirect mode, relates his neglect of her.

Demanded, did I? ± I, who had gone off and abandoned my widowed mother, who had skipped off to America and married without even informing her, who had never once brought my child, her grandson, to see her ± I, who for ten years had stravaiged the world like a tinker, never GRLQJDKDQG¶VWXUQRIZRUNOLYLQJRIIP\GHDGIDWKHU¶VIHZSRXQGVDQGEOHHGLQJWKHHVWDWHGU\ ± what right, she shrilled, what right had I to demand anything here? (TBE 59)19

)UHGGLH¶V GHVFULSWLRQV RI KLV FKLOGKRRG DUH SURMHFWLRQV RI KLV RZQ HPRWLRQV ,Q D similar fashion, Freddie claims that his wife Daphne was a bad mother for their handicapped son, thereby projecting his negative feelings towards his own mother on to heU³She neglected our son, not because she was not fond of him, in her way, but simply because his neHGV GLG QRW UHDOO\ LQWHUHVW KHU´ TBE 7). In the end, Daphne reveals that it was not she, but Freddie who neglected his son since ³[he] knew nothing about [them], nothing´(TBE 213). In Eclipse and Ancient Light$OH[¶VGHVFULSWLRQVRIKLVPRWKHUDOVRPLUURUKLVRZQ attitude: ³VKH>KLVPRWKHU@ZDVDTXHUXORXVGLVWUDFWHGSHUVRQJLYHQWRZRUULHVDQG vague agitations, always labouring under unspecified grievances, always waiting, it seemed, tight-OLSSHGDQGSDWLHQWO\VRUURZLQJIRUDJHQHUDODSRORJ\IURPWKHZRUOG´ (Eclipse 30). Alex claims that his mother did not give him the attention he deserved as ³>s]he tried but could not understand [him], her chanJHOLQJ´ Eclipse 30). The IROORZLQJ SDUDJUDSK UHYHDOV WKH QDUUDWRU¶V SDWKRORJLFDO QDUFLVVLVP DV KH Lnstead of DVNLQJ KLPVHOI ZKDW KLV PRWKHU ZDQWHG IURP KLP ZKLFK ZRXOG UHYHDO D FKLOG¶V natural desire to please its parents, turns the question around and reverses the hierarchy between child and parent³All of her dealings with me then became a kind

19 This is in character with the historical murderer Macarthur, whose murder on a young nurse inspired Banville for his novel The Book of Evidence.

31 of ceaseless pleading, by turns piteous and angry[,] [w]hat she wanted from me was for me to explain myself to her, to account for what I was, and why I differed so from her´ Eclipse 37). Moreover, Alex felt superior towards his mother: he had behaved towards her as he had towards Lydia, namely ³with impatience, resentment, and that tight-lipped, ironical forbearance´, and had ³treat[ed] her like a child (Eclipse 139- 140). Furthermore, as in The Book of Evidence, $OH[¶Vwife Lydia, whose words, like WKRVH RI )UHGGLH¶V PRWKHU DUH RQO\ UHSUHVHQWHG LQGLUHFWO\ UHYHDOV WKDW $OH[¶V childhood memories are unreliable.

Did I lead a lonely and puzzled childhood, shocked by the early loss of my father and subject thereafter to the unmeetable emotional demands of a bitterly disappointed mother? No, no: I was the little prince, showered with love, praise, gifts, who quickly saw off a resented father and spent the resWRIKLVZLGRZHGPRWKHU¶VOLIHEODPLQJKHUIRUDOOWKHWKLQJVVKHFRXOGQRWEHRUGR (Eclipse 141)

In Mefisto, Gabriel appears to have been smothered as well by his mother as he UHFDOOVWKDW³>V@KHQXUVHG>KLP@ZLWKDNLQGRIYHKHPHQFHZLOOLQJ>KLP@WROLYH «  >DQG@ZRXOGQRWOHW>KLP@RXWRIKHUVLJKW´ Mefisto 9). Nevertheless, her attention is LQVXIILFLHQW IRU WKH QDUFLVVLVW¶V GHPDQGV DQG Gabriel UHPHPEHUV KHU DV ³D VWUDQJHU VLOHQWDQGHQLJPDWLFGLVFRQVRODWHO\VPLOLQJ´ Mefisto 5). In The Blue Guitar, Oliver also portrays his mother as very absent-PLQGHG³>m]other always displayed a distrait and ever slightly dazed manner, and was generally inadequate to the ordinary business RIOLIH´ TBG 17). Oliver reveals that KH³KHUIDYRXULWH´ TBG 18), was smothered by KLVPRWKHUVLQFH³KHUER\PXVWKDYHWKHEHVW´ TBG 18). Oliver remembers how his PRWKHU SODFHG KLP DW WKH FHQWUH RI DWWHQWLRQ ³, ZRXOG ZDWFK KHU >KLV PRWKHU@ watching me intently, with bright-eyed expectation, as if at any moment I might do sRPHWKLQJDPD]LQJSHUIRUPVRPHPDUYHOORXVWULFN´ TBG 18). This overdose of love DQGDWWHQWLRQUHVXOWVLQDVXUSULVLQJO\SRVLWLYHGHVFULSWLRQRIKLVPRWKHU³LQ>KLV@H\HV everything she was and did was as near to perfection as it was humanly possible to EH´ TBG 17). Nevertheless, Oliver cannot help to remaUN WKDW KH LV ³IRU HYHU WKH GLVDSSRLQWHGGLVHQFKDQWHGFKLOG´ TBG 102), probably because of the, especially for a narcissist, ³DVWRXQGLQJ « GLVFRYHU\ « WKDWLQWKHZRUOGWKHUHLVQRWMXVW>KLP@ but other people as well, uncountable, and unaccountable, numbers of them, a

32 WHHPLQJ KRUGH RI VWUDQJHUV´ TBG   ZLWK ZKRP KH KDV WR VKDUH KLV PRWKHU¶V attention.20 Secondly, tKHQDUUDWRU¶VXQZLOOLQJQHVVWRVKDUHKLVPRWKHU¶VORYHZLWKDQ\RQHHOVH colours the depiction of his childhood, which places the mother and him at the centre of his memories, his father and siblings on the periphery. First of all, fathers in %DQYLOOH¶VILFWLRQDUHDOZD\VIOHHWLQJO\DEVHQWDQGLQVXEVWDQWLDOZKLFKLVVWUHQJWKHQHG E\%DQYLOOH¶VDllusions to the myths of Leda and Alcmene (chapter 1.1.), in which the legitimacy of the father is questioned. Moreover, in the few occasions that the father is mentioned, however never by name21, WKH VRQ GHILHV KLV IDWKHU¶V DXWKRULW\ DQG depicts him as a ridiculous and inferior figure. In addition, in all of the novels discussed, the father dies early on in the SURWDJRQLVW¶V life so that he never learned to step aside in the competition for his mother. To illustrate this, in Mefisto*DEULHOGHVFULEHVKLVIDWKHUDVD³UHPRWHenigmatic and yet peculiarly vivid figure [whose] SUHVHQFH>ZDV@GLIILGHQWDQGIOHHWLQJ´ Mefisto 13), thereby suggesting that he did not convey authority. *DEULHO¶VGHSLFWLRQ of his IDWKHU¶VSRRUDSSHDUDQFH namely ³>K@HVPHOOHGRIFKDIIGXVWMXWHDOO GU\WKLQJV´, and physical decline, id est ³>K@H KDG DVWKPD DQG D EDG OHJ´ (Mefisto 13), further underscores his wavering power. His IDWKHU¶V SURIHVVLRQ ³D WDOO\PDQ IRU D JUDLQ PHUFKDQW´ Mefisto 13), which involves keeping a score of the goods he sold, is inferior to *DEULHO¶V mathematical enterprise. In the following paragraph, Gabriel VWUHVVHVKLVIDWKHU¶VSULPLWLYHDSSHDUDQFHDVZHOODVKLVLQVLJQLILFDQFHDVKHZDVMXVW ³VWDON>LQJ@WKHIDUERUGHUVRIKLVWRU\´ZKHUHDV*DEULHOZDVDWWHPSWLQJWRXQYHLOthe meaning of life by the means of a calculating machine, which, had he been successful, would undoubtedly have granted him a place in history books.

He was a short man, with long arms and bowed legs. His head was small, which made his trunk seem weightier than it was. With those limbs, that sharp face, the close-set dark eyes, he had VRPHWKLQJ RI WKRVH VWXQWHG OLWWOH ZDUULRUV 3LFW RU )LUEROJ , GRQ¶W NQRZ ZKR VWDON WKH IDU borders of history. I can see him, in pelts and pointed shoon, limping at twilight through the bracken. A small man, whom the vengeful gods have overlooked. A survivor. (Mefisto 14)

20 1RWHWKDWLQDZD\DOORI%DQYLOOH¶VQDUUDWRUVVWHDOIURPRWKHUVEHLWDWWHQWLRQDQGORYHDSDLQWLQJ (TBE), a lover (TBG) or everyday objects (TBG), which can be interpreted as a sign of a failed Oedipal phase. 21 2QH FRXOG DUJXH WKDW WKLV OLWHUDO DEVHQFH RI WKH IDWKHU¶V QDPH V\PEROL]HV WKH DEVHQFH RI /DFDQ¶V concept of the Name-of-the-Father.

33

In The Book of Evidence, Freddie also describes KLVIDWKHUDVDSDWKHWLFILJXUH³D FRZDUG  >ZKR@IHOWVRUU\IRUKLPVHOI´ TBE 28), against whom he feels superior. He remembers his father as the pubertal son, himself as the grown-up adult, which marks a total reversal of the family hierarchy, which is ubiquitous in all novels: ³Indeed, there was something of the eternal boy about him [his father], something tentative and pubertal [so that] [w]hen I think of us together I see him as impossibly young and me already grown-up, weary, embittered [and] I suspect he was a little DIUDLGRIPH´ (TBE 28). Furthermore, Freddie ridicules his father, who is depicted as clumsy and compliant, in a daydream about him: ³I picture him on those Sunday DIWHUQRRQV ZLWKKLVPLVWUHVV « EHIRUHZKRPKHNQHHOVSRLVHGWUHPEOLQJRQRQH NQHH « KLVPRLVWUHGPRXWKRSHQLQVXSSOLFDWLRQ  2KEXWI must not mock him OLNHWKLV´ TBE 29 -  )UHGGLHDGPLWVWKDW³>KH@GLGQRWWKLQNXQNLQGO\RIKLP>KLV father] - apart, that is, from wanting deep down to kill him, so that [he] might marry [his] mother, a novel and compelling notion which [his] counsel urges on [him] frequently, with a meaning look in his eye (TBE 29-30). In The Blue Guitar2OLYHU¶VGHVFULSWLRQVRIKLVIDWKHU¶VSK\VLFDODSSHDUDQFHDUH also DFRPSOHWHIDUFHVLQFHWKH\VWUHVVWKHODWWHU¶VDZNZDUGQHVVKLVGLVSURSRUWLRQDWH DQG³SULPLWLYH´ERG\DQG KLVµLQVHFW-OLNH¶PRYHPHQWV

0\IDWKHU0XVW,PDNHDVNHWFKRIKLPWRR" « +HZDVDQXQDVVXPLQJPDQODQN\WKLQWR WKH SRLQW RI HPDFLDWLRQ «  ZLWK VWRRSHG VKRXOGHUV DQG D ORQJ QDUURZ KHDG OLNH WKH FDUYHG EODGHRIDSULPLWLYHD[H « My father moved in a peculiar, mantis-like fashion, as if all his joints were not quite attached to each other and he had to hold his skeleton together inside his skin with great care and difficulty. (TBG 22)

Oliver also stresses the difference between their professions: whereas Oliver was once a VXFFHVVIXOSDLQWHU³[his] IDWKHU´ZKRmerely worked in a printing shop, ³too made KLVOLYLQJLQRURQWKHSHULSKHU\RIWKHDUWEXVLQHVV´ TBG 22). Note the strategic use RIWKHZRUG³SHULSKHU\´VLPLODUWR*DEULHO¶Vdescription of his father as a Pict who ³VWDON[s] WKHIDUERUGHUVRIKLVWRU\´ (Mefisto 14): both narrators place their father in marginal positions. Instead of looking up to his father, a normal reaction of a son, 2OLYHUUHODWHVWKDW³>H@YHU\WLPH>KH@KDG WRJRLQWRKLV>IDWKHU¶V@VKRS>KLV@OLSZRXOG FXUOLQFRQWHPSWLQVWDQWO\DQGDOOE\LWVHOI´IRU³KLV>IDWKHU¶V@H[HFUDEOHWDVWH´ TBG 23). Oliver reverses the normal hierarchy between father and son by claiming that his

34 father was the one who admired him: ³*ORULDWROGPHORQJDIWHUKHZDVGHDGWKDW one day he had turned to her without warning or cause and had said, forcefully, angrily, even, that he, too, could have been a painter, like me, had there been the PHDQVIRUKLPWREHHGXFDWHGDQGWUDLQHG´ TBG 166). And, whereas a child normally needs confirmation from his father, Oliver regrets that he never paid enough heed to KLV IDWKHU ³3RRU ROG GDG , PXVW KDYH ORYHG KLP LQ P\ ZD\ ZKDWHYHU WKDW PLJKW KDYHEHHQ´ TBG 26). /LNHZLVH%DQYLOOH¶VQDUUDWors almost never mention their siblings. Is the reader to assume that Freddie (TBE), Alex (Eclipse, AL) and Gabriel (Mefisto) have no siblings, or does the narrator systematically erase them from his memories? The Book of Evidence GRHVIHDWXUH-RDQQHDVWDEOHJLUOZKR³LVOLNHDVRQWR>KLVPRWKHU@WKHVRQ >VKH@QHYHUKDG´ TBE  DQGZKRLVPRUHµVWDEOH¶WKDQKLPEHFDXVHVKHVWD\VZLWK his mother. In order to let her and his reader know how insignificant she is to him, Freddie DOZD\VµDFFLGHQWO\¶PHVVHVXS-RDQQH¶VQDPHFDOOLQJKHUDOWHUQDWLYHO\³-RDQ or Jean ± ,¶OOFRPSURPLVHDQGFDOOKHU-DQH´ TBE  DQG³-HQQ\´ TBE 212). The Blue Guitar is the only novel where the protagonist mentions his siblings, namely a deceased brother Oswald and a sister Olive. Nevertheless, it is striking how Oliver systematically deletes his siblings from his childhood memories. He claims that his PRWKHUDQGKLPZHUH³FRQVSLUDWRUVWRJHWKHU´ TBG 155) and when he talks about his family he speaks of ³P\PRWKHUDQGPHDQGWKHRWKHUFKLOGUHQ´ TBG 23), instead of µP\PRWKHUDQGXV¶7KXVLIWKHQDUUDWRU¶VPHPRULHVZHUHDWKHDWUHVHWWLQJ2OLYHU casts his siblings, as well as his father, as supporting actors with himself and his mother in the starring UROH³When I was little we were never less than happy in each RWKHU¶VFRPSDQ\DQG,ZRXOGQ¶WKDYHPLQGHGDQG,VXVSHFWVKHZRXOGQ¶WHLWKHULI there had been only the two of us, without my father or my other siblings to crowd the VFHQH´(TBG 18). The following dialogue, spread over several pages, between Oliver and his sister Olive, whose name is not only derived from Oliver but even a less VLJQLILFDQWFRS\ZLWKRXWWKHµU¶UHYHDOs 2OLYHU¶V self-centredness and grandiose self- image, his selective and unreliable memory and his complete blindness to anything WKDWGRHVQ¶WFRQFHUQhim.

µ:HOO :HOO LI LW LVQ¶W WKH JHQLXV RI WKH IDPLO\¶ VKH VDLG «  µ:KDW EULQJV \RX DPRQJ WKH FRPPRQIRON"¶ TBG 207)

35 ,NQRZ\RX\RXRQO\UHPHPEHUZKDWVXLWV\RX « µ$K\HV¶VKHVDLGµ\RX¶YHIRUJRWWHQZKR WRRNFDUHRI\RXZKHQ\RXZHUHOLWWOHDQGRXU0DZDVRIIJDOOLYDQWLQJ¶ TBG 212)

µ

,VDOOWKDWJRQHDOOWKHZRUN,GLGIRU\RXDOOIRUJRWWHQ"

µ

ThirdlyQHLWKHURI%DQYLOOH¶VQDUUDWRUVUHDOO\acknowledges the transgenerational aspect of existence. The Banvillian narrator hardly ever talks about his grandparents and when he does, only in a diminishing way. For instance, in Mefisto, Gabriel talks DERXW KLV JUDQGIDWKHU -DFN .D\ DV ³DQ LQWHUPLWWHQW GUXQNDUG´ Mefisto 12) who PDUULHG³0DUWKDVRPHERG\´ Mefisto 12). Older people are for him interchangeable: ³>V@KH DQG *UDQQ\ 6ZDQ «  Elur into each other, two put-upon old women, somehow not quite life-sized, dropsical, dressed in black, always unwell, always FRPSODLQLQJ´ Mefisto 12). Moreover, when ³[s]omeone had told [him] [his] granny was dead[,t]KHQHZVIDUIURPEHLQJVDGZDVVWUDQJHO\H[KLODUDWLQJDQG « VXGGHQO\ [he] ZDVILOOHGZLWKDVQXJH[FLWHPHQW´ Mefisto 13), a sign that he wants to detach himself from his ancestry. In a similar fashion, the other narrators dwell on the irreconcilable differences between mothers, daughters and lovers, as if they would prefer to isolate a woman from her familial attachments. For instance, Alex is perplexed to hear that his PDWHUQDOORYHU0UV*UD\LVKHUVHOIDGDXJKWHU³7KHQHZV that Mrs Gray had a mother was so amazing as to divert me for a moment from my DQJXLVK´ AL 221). Similarly, in The Blue Guitar, when Oliver, his mistress Polly and her daughter Pip visit her parents, he fails to see her as his mistress: ³HQJDJHGDVVKH ZDVLQWKHWULFN\WDVNRIEHLQJDWRQFHDPRWKHUDQGDGDXJKWHU´ TBG 154), she ³ZDV DOOGDXJKWHUQRZ « >so that] [he] could hardly see in her the wantonly excellent creature who of an afternoon not VRORQJDJR « ZRXOGFU\RXWLQ>KLV@DUPVDQGGLJ her fingers into [his] shoulder-blades (TBG 131). In Eclipse, when Lydia wonders why Alex, who ³DOUHDG\KD>V@DGDXJKWHU´ZDQWV WR DGRSW /LO\ his response is: ³, had, (...) [t]hen she grew up[,] [a] woPDQFDQ¶WEHDGDXJKWHU´ Eclipse 137), which

36 expresses his denial of the fact that his daughter Cass will outgrow their family triangle to possibly create a family of her own. In short, the Banvillian narrator¶s excessive demand for his PRWKHU¶VDWWHQWLRQhis competition against the father and, especially in The Blue Guitar, the other siblings and his neglect of generational boundaries is detectable in the highly subjective account of his family and his deformed childhood memories.

4.2. The Maternal Mistress in Ancient Light

Not only in his familial attachments, but also in his love affairs we see how the Banvillian narrator behaves as a self-centred baby crying out for attention. The most interesting pre-Oedial relationship is the affair between Alex and Mrs Gray in Ancient Light, which PLUURUV$OH[¶Vfamilial situation. $OH[¶VLQIDQWLOHEHKDYLRXUWRZDUGV0UV Gray, his competitive streak against her husband and children and his use of her as a prize-object for the ego will be discussed. To begin with, Alex reveals how his older lover Mrs Gray, the mother of his best friend Billy, ZDVOLNHDPRWKHUILJXUHWRKLP+HVD\V³I do think she thought of me «  DV VRPHKRZ D VRUW RI ORQJ-ORVW VRQ «  LQ QHHG RI KHU ZRPDQO\ LQGHHG PDWURQO\DWWHQWLRQVWRVRRWKHDQGFLYLOL]HKLP´ AL 57).22 Alex interacts with her as a manipulative FKLOGDVKH³FRQIHVV>HV@that sulking was [his] chief weapon against her (AL  DQGWKDWKH³RIWHQ « IRXQG>KLP@VHOIILEELQJWRKHUOLNHWKLVDV>KH@ZRXOG WR >KLV@ PRWKHU´ AL 61). $OH[¶V FKDJULQ ZKHQ KH GRHVQ¶W KDYH 0UV *UD\¶V IXOO attention is illustrated by the following quote in which Alex spies on Mrs Gray in the cinema: ³+RZ WHUULEOH LW ZDV WR ZLWQHVV 0UV *UD\ FDXJKW XS LQ VXFK LQQRFHQW enjoyment ± « ORVW DVVKH ZDV LQEOLVVIXO IRUJHWIXOQHVV RIVHOIRIVXUURXQGLQJV and, most piercingly, of me´ AL  $IWHUWKHDIIDLUHQGHG$OH[³FOXQJWR >KLV@ mother as [he] had QRWGRQHVLQFH>KH@ZDV DQLQIDQW´ AL 224) and retreats to his ³PRWKHU¶V URRP´ AL 245)23, similar to his retreat to the house of his mother in Eclipse.

22 The motif of adoption, this time crossed with the failed Oedipus phase, is a common theme in %DQYLOOH¶VQRYHOV 23 As in Mefisto ZKLFK UHIHUV WR ³PDPP\¶V URRP´ Mefisto 224) in the final pages of the novel, Ancient Light DOVRHQGVZLWKDUHIHUHQFHWR³PRWKHU¶VURRP´ AL 245). In fact, all of the novels, except Eclipse LQFOXGH D V\QRQ\P IRU µPRWKHU¶ LQ WKHLU ILQDO SDJHV QDPHO\ ³0RWKHU´ Mefisto   ³P\

37 Secondly $OH[¶V relationship with Mrs Gray is a re-enactment of the Oedipal competition in his family, characterized by his rivalry towards her husband and children. Alex relates how he ³IHOWVXSHULRUDQGPRUHJURZQ-up than not only Billy DQGKLVVLVWHUEXWWKDQWKHLUIDWKHUWRR´ AL 39), which reveals his infantile wish to be 0UV*UD\¶VµHYHU\WKLQJ¶ RUµWKHRQHDQGRQO\¶, both her husband and her son. As with his own father, Alex does not respect 0U *UD\¶V DXWKRULW\ ZKRP KH FODLPV ³had about him an air of troubled inadequacy, seeming incompetent to deal with the SUDFWLFDOLWLHV RI HYHU\GD\ OLIH´ AL 103). Alex also resents 0UV *UD\¶V ODVW QDPH which IRUKLPLVDV\PERORI0U*UD\¶VPDUNRQKHULQIDFW³>Z@RPHQ¶VPDUULHG names never sound right, in [his] opinion´ (AL 6). Even though &HOLD *UD\¶V ³KXVEDQGVRPHWLPHVFDOOHGKHU/LO\´$OH[³GR>HV@QRWWKLQN>KH@KDGDSHW-name, a love-QDPHIRUKHU´ AL  WKHUHE\UHIXVLQJWRPLPLF0U*UD\¶VDEEUHYLDWLRQRIKLV ZLIH¶V QDPH 0RUHRYHU $OH[ ZDQWV H[FOXVLYH DFFHVV WR 0UV *UD\¶V ERG\ DQG the WKRXJKWWKDW0U*UD\DULYDOKH³KDGPDGHLW>KLV@EXVLQHVVWRKDWHDQGGHVSLVH´ZDV VWLOOLQWKHSLFWXUHZDVIRUKLPD³KDUGEORZWRWKHVRODUSOH[XV´

I remember what she said one day when I complacently remarked that of course she and Mr Gray couOGQRORQJHUEHGRLQJWRJHWKHUZKDWVKHDQG,VRIUHTXHQWO\GLG « µ%XW,¶PPDUULHG WRKLP¶VKHVDLGDQGLWZDVDVLIWKLVVLPSOHVWDWHPHQWVKRXOGWHOOPHDOO,QHHGHGWRNQRZDERXW her relations with a man whom I had made it my business to hate and despise. I felt as if I had been delivered a haphazard yet swift, hard blow to the solar plexus. First I sulked, then I sobbed. She held me like a baby to her breast, murmuring ssh, ssh against my temple and rocking us both gently from side to side. (AL 59 - 60)

$OH[¶VULYDOU\DJDLQVW0Us Gray¶VKXVEDQG reaches a climax when he indulges in the IDQWDV\RI0U*UD\¶VPRUWDOLOOQHVVZKLFKPLUURUV$OH[¶VYLFWRU\DIWHUKLVIDWKHUGLHG: ³The possibility that her husband was mortally ill had been taking an ever- strengthening hold on my imagination, with a consequent bolstering of my hopes of securing Mrs Gray on a long-WHUPEDVLV´ (AL 210). However, ³HYHQWKHQWKHUHZRXOG EHREVWDFOHV.LWW\DQG>KLV@PRWKHUQRWWKHOHDVWRIWKHP « >DQG@%LOO\´ AL 210). TKHVH³REVWDFOHV´QDPHO\0UV*UD\¶VFKLOGUHQDUHDJUHDWVRXUFHRIDJRQ\IRU$OH[ who envies the love and attention they receive from their mother, which the following quote illustrates.

PRWKHU´ TBE  ³3RRU0D´ AL  ³0\PRWKHU´ TBG 249), which is an interesting side note to LOOXVWUDWHWKHQDUUDWRU¶VSUHFRFFXSDWLRQZLWKKLVPRWKHU

38

7KHQVKH>0UV*UD\@OLIWHGDKDQGDQGODLGLWRQKLV>%LOO\¶V@VKRulder. This gesture too was absent-minded, but for that reason all the more shocking, to me. I was outraged, outraged to see the two of them together there, she with her hand resting so lightly on his shoulder, in the midst of all that homeliness, that shared, familiar world, while I stood by as if forgotten. Whatever liberties Mrs Gray might grant me I would never be as near to her as Billy was at that moment, as he always had been and always would be, at every moment. (AL 101)

Even when Mrs Gray tells Alex about her miscarriage, instead of comforting her, he FDQRQO\WKLQNDERXW0UV*UD\¶VORYHJRLQJWRZDVWHRQWKDWXQERUQEDE\LQVWHDGRI KLP³,WPDGHPHXQHDV\WRKHDURIWKLVFUHDWXUH>0UV*UD\¶VPLVFDUULHGGDXJKWHU@ who for her mother was a vividly OLQJHULQJSUHVHQFHLGHDOL]HGDQGDGRUHG´ AL 71). Thirdly, Alex sees Mrs Gray as a prize-object for the ego, which he wants to control and possess: ³HYHU\ DGYDQWDJH I got of her represented a nasty, miniature victory for my self-HVWHHPDQGVHQVHRIORUGVKLSRYHUKHU´ AL 149). $OH[HYHQ³WROG KHU >0UV *UD\@ RI >KLV@ LQWHQWLRQ WR PDNH KHU SUHJQDQW´ VRPHWKLQJ KH ³KHDUG [him]self announce (...) aloud and quite as if it were a thing in need only of being DFFRPSOLVKHG´ AL 70), whereby he reduces her to a walking womb, a clear example of female objectification. This need to possess a woman might be explained from a psychoanalytic point of view, specifically aimed at narcissists who use women to boost their ego. Minsky notes that ³>W@KHSUREOHPZLWKUHODWLRQVKLSVEDVHGRQORYH- objects who carry projected parts of the self is that there is a constant need to control WKHREMHFWDQGFRQYHUVHO\DSHUVLVWHQWIHDURIEHLQJFRQWUROOHGE\LW´ 0LQVN\ ± 87). The following paragraph sums XS$OH[¶VLQIDQWLOHEHKDYLRXUWRZDUGVZRPHQKLV need to have a woman all to himself, who is always available, never denies him anything and whom KHFDQ³VKRZRIIEROGO\WRWKHZRUOG´

[M]y childhood dream of having not a bald and inarticulated doll to cuddle and care for and operate on, but a full-sized, warm-blooded, safely widowed woman all of my own, accessible to me all day and every day, and more momentously, every night, too, a prized possession that I might show off boldly to the world, whenever and wherever I pleased. (AL 211)

$OH[¶VGHVLUHto possess Mrs Gray¶VERG\ is perverse: he wants her to be both his mother and his lover, an infantile and pre-Oedipal desire to have access to the ³LQQHUPRVWVHFUHWVRI>WKHPRWKHU¶V@ IOHVK´

39 Yet that Mrs Gray should love me I took entirely for granted, as if it were a thing ordained within the natural order of things. Mothers were put on earth to love sons, and although I was not her son Mrs Gray was a mother, so how would she deny me anything, even the innermost secrets of her flesh? (AL 109)

Alex relates how he, during sex, confuses Mrs Gray for his mother: ³, KDYH D suspicion, which will not be dismissed, that on more than one occasion, in the throes of passion, I cried out the word Mother2KGHDU´ AL 15). The next chapter will analyze WKH QDUUDWRU¶V FRPSOHWH GLVUHJDUG IRU 2HGLSDO boundaries between mothers, lovers and daughters in the novels The Book of Evidence, Eclipse, Ancient Light and The Blue Guitar.24

4.3. Womanhood Eclipsed from Eclipse onwards

%DQYLOOH¶V QRYHOV FRQWDLQ PDQ\ H[DPSOHV ZKHUH D ZRPDQ LQ WKH QDUUDWRU¶V perception, can shift on the spectrum of womanhood from lover to mother and vice versa. Coughlan stated that Banville uses ³WKH IDPLOLDU ELQDU\ VFKHPD RI PRWKHU versus wife/spouse/partner or, especially in the later work, daughter-ILJXUH´ (Coughlan 92). However, I would like to argue that these categories, due to the QDUUDWRU¶VIDLOHG2HGLSDOFDVWUDWLRQoften fuse into a more complex image of women. The depiction of lovers as mother figures, the confusion of mothers with lovers and, from Eclipse onwards, the Oedipal tension between fathers and daughters will be discussed. To begin with, women are often described as mothers, with a focus on their capacity to give birth to the narcissistic narrator. 0RUHRYHU WKH QDUUDWRU¶V VH[XDO HQFRXQWHUVZLWKKLVZRPHQDUHVRPHWLPHVGHVFULEHGDVDUHWXUQWRWKHPRWKHU¶VVDIH womb or to their childhood years. )RUH[DPSOH$OH[UHIOHFWVKRZ³>Z@RPHQ « IHOO LQWR >KLP@ WKLQNLQJ WR ILOO >KLP@ ZLWK DOO WKH\ KDG WR JLYH´ DQG WKDW ³>KH@ ZDV D FKDOOHQJHWRWKHPWKHLUXUJHWRFUHDWHWRPDNHOLIH´ Eclipse 33).25 He describes his

24 The novel Mefisto will not be discussed in the following chapter since it contains no explicit allusions to incestuous fantasies. 25 This has to do with the frustrated creativity of each protagonist, which will be further discussed in chapter five (5.2.).

40 sexual intercourse with Lydia DV LI KH ZDV ³clasped in her familiar warmth like a PDUVXSLDOLQLWVPRWKHU¶VSRXFK´ Eclipse 151). Ancient Light provides another good example of the complicated boundaries between mothers and mistresses in the form of Mrs Gray. In that novel Alex WHVWLILHV WKDW VLQFH KLV DIIDLU ZLWK 0UV *UD\ ³>KH@ would not look at any woman, even Ma, in quite the same way ever again [and] [w]here before there had been girls and mothers, now there was something that was neither, and [he] hardly knew what to make of it´ (AL 47). The following paragraph IXUWKHULOOXVWUDWHVKRZ$OH[EHOLHYHV0UV*UD\WREH³RIDJHQGHUDOOWRKHUVHOI´DV ZHOO DV WKH HSLWRPH RI ³ZRPDQKRRG LQ LWV HVVHQFH´ ZKLFK VKRZV KRZ ZRPHQ DUH abVWUDFWHGLQ%DQYLOOH¶VILFWLRQZKLFKZLOOEHWKHPDLn topic in chapter five.

And she [Mrs Gray] was, for me, unique. I did not know where in the human scale to place her. Not really a woman, like my mother, and certainly not like the girls of my acquaintance, she was, as I think I have already said, of a gender all to herself. At the same time, of course, she was womanhood in its essence, the very standard by which, unconsciously or otherwise, I measured all the women who came after her in my life. (AL 127)

In The Blue Guitar, Oliver also takes it for JUDQWHGWKDW³>W@KDWZDVZKDWZRPHQIRON GLG WKH\ WRRN FDUH RI >KLP@´ TBG 31), whereby he confuses women for mothers. Furthermore, Oliver experiences his sexual intercourse with Polly as a return to his childhood: ³ZKHQI was with her [his mistress Polly], I « VHHPHGWRVWUD\DJDLQLQ the midst of my RZQHDUOLHVWGD\V´ TBG 39). Secondly, the novels The Book of Evidence and Eclipse contain passages in which the mother is eroticized. In The Book of Evidence, Freddie relates that during his teenage years KHERWK IHOWFXULRVLW\DQGDYHUVLRQIRUKLVPRWKHU¶VERG\ ³with a big backside and slim legs, a contrast which, when [he] was an adolescent and morbidly interested in such things, led [him] to speculate on the complicated architecture that must be necessary to bridge the gap under her skirt between those shapely knees and WKDW WKLFN ZDLVW´ (TBE 42). In his prison cell, Freddie also fantasizes about all the women he encountered in his life, including his mother, which reveals his perverse sexual desire for hLVPRWKHU¶VERG\

,PDVWXUEDWHGUHSHDWHGO\ « :KDWDPRWOH\OLWWOHEDQGRIPDQLNLQV,FRQMXUHGXSWRMRLQPHLQ WKHVHPHODQFKRO\IURWWLQJV'DSKQHZDVWKHUHRIFRXUVHDQG$QQD%HKUHQV « DQGSRRU)R[\ DVZHOO « %XWWKHUHZHUHRWKHUVWRRZKRP, ZRXOGQRWKDYHH[SHFWHG0DGJH¶VQLHFHIRU

41 instance ± « DQGWKHELJJLUOZLWKWKHUHGQHFN,KDGIROORZHGWKURXJKWKHFLW\VWUHHWV « DQG even, God forgive me, my mother and the stable-girl. (TBE 203 ± 204)

In Eclipse, Alex finds his mother sitting on the toilet with her pants on her knees after VKHKDGVXIIHUHGDVPDOOVWURNH$OH[ZKRUHODWHVWKDW³>s]he was warm and flaccid DQGIDLQWO\DWUHPEOH´ZDV³VKRFNHGWRILQG>KLP@VHOIWKLQNLQJRI/\GLDDVVKHZRXOG be at the climax of love-PDNLQJ´ Eclipse 59).26 Thirdly, from Eclipse onwards, the theme of the (dead) daughter is introduced, which gives rise to a new Oedipal threat, namely between the narrator and his daughter. In Eclipse, the hierarchy in $OH[¶V family is unnatural, as Alex has a tendency to conspire with his daughter against his wife. For instance, Alex remarks WKDW LW ZDV ³DOZD\V DOZD\V WKH WZR RI [them] [him and Cass] against poor Lydia (Eclipse 135). Cass in turn also alludes to a relationship with her father since even as ³DOLWWOHJLUOVKHXVHGWRVD\WKDWDVVRRQDVVKHZDVJURZQ-up she would marry [her father] and [they] would have a child just like her so that if she died [he] would not PLVVKHUDQGEHORQHO\´ AL 236). Moreover, in Shroud, the novel following Eclipse, Cass dates Axel Vander, who is several years older than her, which possibly reveals her unconscious desire to date her own father. This transgression between father and daughter, never realized in real live, is made possible on a transcendental level, as was briefly remarked in the first chapter of this paper (1.2.). In KLV DUWLFOH ³(FKR DQG &RLQFLGHQFH LQ -RKQ %DQYLOOH¶V Eclipse´ Wilkinson argues that ³>D@V FUHDWRU DQG procreatRURIWKHµJKRVWWULR¶&OHDYHFDVWVKLPVHOIDVLQFHVWXRXVSDWHUIDPLOLDVDUROH ERWKGHVLUHGDQGKHOGDWED\E\KDOIGHQLDO´ :LONLQVRQ  Furthermore, Wilkinson gives a new dimension to the relationship between Alex and Cass, stating KDW$OH[¶V GHVLUHIRUKLVGDXJKWHU¶VH[FOXVLYHORYHLVLQIDFWDSURMHFWLRQRIKLV longing for his dead mother¶VORYH³7KHLQVLVWHQWXQGHUO\LQJVFHQDULRLVWKDWRIWKHDGRUHGGDXJKWHU standing in for the dead mother in an exclusive relationship between father and RIIVSULQJ´ :LONLQVRQ Even though this is an interesting argument, Wilkinson gives no arguments DVLGH IURP WKH IDFW WKDW &DVV¶ JKRVW DSSHDUV LQ WKH PRWKHU¶V house, to prove this comparison. Moreover, in Eclipse and Ancient Light the different daughter figures Cass, Lily and Dawn are tied together, both on a stylistic level as on the level of the plot, which

26 This quote illustrate that Freddie also has anal fantasies, which is a possible sign of a failed Oedipus phase.

42 was already mentioned in chapter one (1.2.). Moreover, they are also connected to Alex¶s wives and mistresses, which again blurs the distinction between daughter and partner. For instance, Ancient Light establishes many links between Mrs Gray and &DVV)LUVWRIDOOERWKDUHFRPSDUHGWRWKHFXOWRI9HQXV$OH[FDOOV0UV*UD\³WKH /DG\9HQXV´ (AL 6) and Cass committed suicide at the ³3RUWXV9HQHULV « >ZKHUH@ ORQJDJRWKHUHZDVDVKULQHWRWKDWFKDUPLQJJRGGHVV´ AL 23). Secondly, both Mrs Gray and Cass lost their child: the first had a miscarriage and the latter was pregnant as she threw herVHOIRIIDFOLII7KLUGO\$OH[FDOOV0UV*UD\DQG&DVV³>KLV@WZRORVW ORYHV´ AL 126). Likewise, there is a connection between Dawn Devonport and Mrs *UD\$OH[UHPDUNVWKDW0UV*UD\LV³RIDJHQGHUDOOWRKHUVHOI´DQG'DZQ'HYRQSRUW too leaves the impreVVLRQ³RIEHLQJDWKLUGJHQGHURYHUPDVWHULQJDQGLPSUHJQDEOH´ (AL  /\GLD³DGHVHUWSULQFHVV´ Eclipse  ZLWKWKH³H\HVRIDGHVHUWGDXJKWHU´ (AL  LVLQWXUQFRQQHFWHGWRKHUGDXJKWHU&DVVZKRP$OH[FDOOVD³GDXJKWHURIWKH GHVHUW´ AL 118). In The Blue Guitar, Banville reuses the motive of the dead daughter, however 2OLYHU¶V GDXJKWHURQO\³>O@LYHGWKUHH\HDUVVHYHQPRQWKVWZRZHHNVDQGIRXUGD\V´ (TBG 69). Like Alex, Oliver KDV ³YLVLWDWLRQV´ (TBG 115) at night of his deceased GDXJKWHU³0\RZQOLWWOHRQHP\ORVW2OLYLDFRPHVWRPHLQGUHDPVVRPHWLPHVQRW DVVKHZDVEXWDVVKHZRXOGEHQRZDJURZQJLUO´ TBG 115). Even though Olivia never grew up to be a woman so that there was never any sexual tension between the two of them, Oliver does sleep with girls that are much younger than him. For LQVWDQFHKLVIRUPHUPLVWUHVV$QQHOLHVHZDV³KDUGO\PRUHWKDQDJLUO´ TBG 69) and Oliver uses the same diction to describe his current mistress Polly, who ³VHHPHG KDUGO\PRUHWKDQDJLUO´ TBG 9) DQG³RQZKRP  >KH@KDGQHDUO\DJRRGWZHQW\ \HDUV LQ DJH´ TBG 154). The link between Polly and Olivia is strengthened by 2OLYHU¶VHSLSKDQ\³that the person lying beside [him] « PLJKWEH[his] daughter. Yes, [his] lost daughter´ TBG 148). Oliver also links his wife Gloria to his younger PLVWUHVV 3ROO\ E\ D FRQWDPLQDWLRQ RI WKHLU QDPHV ³Oh, Polly. Oh, Gloria. Oh, 3RORULD´ TBG 152). So, even though the theme of the lost daughter is less prominent in The Blue Guitar because the daughter dies when she is still a childWKHQDUUDWRU¶V affairs with younger women might be interpreted as a suppressed desire for his GDXJKWHU¶VORYH In short, this chapter revealed KRZ %DQYLOOH¶V QRYHOV HVSHFLDOO\ VLQFH Eclipse, diversify the categories of mothers, women and daughters.

43

5. Women Artified : Different Ways of Seeing and Creating27

5.1. Women Abstracted in Images: The Ewig-weibliche

&ULWLFV KDYH DOUHDG\ QRWHG WKDW %DQYLOOH¶V ZULWLQJ VW\OH LV ULFK ZLWK ³SLFWRULDO voFDEXODU\ DQG PRWLYHV´ .HQQ\ ³:HOO 6DLG :HOO 6HHQ´ 56) and that one of his signature stylistic tropes is ekphrasis ZKLFK LV ³D YHUEDO UHSUHVHQWDWLRQ RI D YLVXDO UHSUHVHQWDWLRQ´ 0OOHU ,QKHUDUWLFOH³V@HHLQJ ZRPDQ DV RWKHU LV >LQ :HVWHUQ DUW WUDGLWLRQV@ QHFHVVDU\WRWUXWKDERXWWKHVHOI´ %URRNVTWLQ&RXJKODQ  This chapter will give examples from The Book of Evidence, Ancient Light and The Blue Guitar to analyze how the Banvillian narrator uses the ocular paradigm to abstract women and thereby attempts to capture their essence in a distilled image. Firstly, thH QDUUDWRU IL[HV ZRPHQ LQ KLV PLQG ZLWK KLV ³SKRWRJUDSKLF JD]H´ *KDVVHPL   .HQQ\ UHPDUNHG WKDW %DQYLOOH¶V ILFWLRQ GUDZV IURP WKH ³>W@KH SKRWRJUDSKLFLGHDORIWKHPLQG¶VH\H´ .HQQ\³:HOO6DLG:HOO6HHQ´ ZLWK³WKH camera [which] freezes with its coOG H\H´ .HQQ\ ³:HOO 6DLG :HOO 6HHQ´ 58) the image of a woman. In doing so, the narrator wants to grasp the mystery of womanhoodZKLFKLQ %DQYLOOH¶VQRYHOVLVDOZD\VOLQNHGZLWKVLJKW7KHREVHVVLRQ with pictures and women is first introduced in The Book of Evidence, the first novel in WKH µ)UDPH 7ULORJ\¶ ZKLFK UHODWHV )UHGGLH¶V HQFRXQWHU ZLWK WKH SDLQWHG Woman in

27 Critics argue that since the Frame Trilogy, Banville starts to focus on the different techniques to frame women. Since Mefisto, which appeared in the Science Tetralogy, is concerned with scientific riddles and less occupied with the mystery of femininity, examples from this novel will be less prominent in chapter five.

44 Gloves (chapter 3.1.). In Ancient Light$OH[¶VPHPRU\LVVWURQJO\YLVXDODQGKHWULHV to ³IL[ KHU >0UV *UD\@ IXOO\ LQ >KLV@ PLQG DQG PDNH KHU RI D SLHFH´ AL 47). Moreover, $OH[VD\V WKDWKH³KDGWKHVHQVH « RIKDYLQJEHHQJUDQWHGDJOLPSVH into the world of womanhood itself, of having been let in, if only for a second or two, RQ WKH JUHDW VHFUHW´ DIWHU KH VDZ D ZRPDQ¶V ³VKDSHO\ OHJV DQG IDVFLnatingly FRPSOLFDWHGXQGHUWKLQJV´ AL  DVWKHZLQGEOHZXQGHUKHUVNLUW$OH[¶VREVHVVLRQWR unravel the mystery of womanhood is illustrated by his childhood fantasy about a generic woman: ³,XVHGWR HQWHUWDLQDUHFXUULQJIDQWDV\LQ ZKLFK ,ZDVUHTXLUHG to attend to certain cosmetic requirements of a grown-up woman[, who] was never specific, but generic, woman in the abstract, I suppose, the celebrated Ewig- weibliche´ AL 166). 2OLYHU WKH QDUUDWRU RI %DQYLOOH¶V PRVW UHFHQW QRYHO DOVR OLQNV WKH P\VWHU\ of ZRPHQWRVLJKWDV³>L@WLVIRU>KLP@RQHRIWKHVHFXODUPLUDFOHV « WKDWZRPHQDUHDV WKH\ DUH´ DQG ³>KH@ >GRHVQ¶W@ VSHDN KHUH RI WKHLU PLQGV WKHLU LQWHOOHFWV WKHLU VHQVLELOLWLHV « >EXWRI@WKHYLVLEOHWKHWDFWLOHWKHJUDVSDEOHIDFWRIZRPDQO\IOHVK´ (TBG 112). To illustrate this, 2OLYHUH[SODLQVKRZWDNLQJDZRPDQ¶VERG\LQWKURXJK KLV H\HV LV IRUKLPWKHPRVWWDFWLOHVHQVDWLRQ ³>$@ZRPDQ¶VERG\KDV PRUHWR VD\ than that of any other creature, infinitely more, to my ear, at any rate, or to my e\H´ EHFDXVH³>O@RRNLQJDQGOLVWHQLQJOLVWHQLQJDQGORRNLQJWKHVHIRURQHVXFKDV,DUH WKH LQWHQVHVW ZD\V RI WRXFKLQJ RI FDUHVVLQJ RI SRVVHVVLQJ´ TBG 112). In the IROORZLQJTXRWH2OLYHUGHVFULEHVKLVGHVLUHWROHWKLVSDLQWHU¶VH\HIORDWRYHUZRPHQ¶s exterior bodies in order to capture them as his images.

It strikes me that what I have always done was to let my eye play over the whole world like weather, thinking I was making it mine, more, making it me, while in truth I had no more effect than sunlLJKWRUUDLQ « $OOLQYDLQ7KHZRUOGDQGZRPHQDUHZKDWWKH\DOZD\VZHUHDQG will be, despite my most insistent efforts. (TBG 184)

$VWKHQRYHODGYDQFHV2OLYHUKDV³DEUHDWKWDNLQJUHYHODWLRQ>QDPHO\@WKDWWKHUHLV no VXFKWKLQJDVZRPDQ´DQGWKDW³:RPDQ « LVDWKLQJRIDOHJHQGDSKDQWDVP who flies through the world, settling here and there on this or that suspecting mortal female, whom she turns, briefly but momentously, into an object of yearning, YHQHUDWLRQDQGWHUURU´ TBG  2OLYHU¶VFKRLFHRIZRUGVQDPHO\³\HDUQLQJ´DQG ³WHUURU´LVLQWULJXLQJDQGVXJJHVWVDVFKDSWHUWKUHHKDVHODERUDWHO\LOOXVWUDWHGWKDWIRU

45 %DQYLOOH¶VQDUUDWRUVWKHORQJLQJDQGIHDUIRUZRPHQLVDOZD\VLQWHUWZLQHG0RUHRYHU this quote clearly illustrates the narrator¶VREVHVVLRQZLWKWKHHQWLW\RIWKHµWoman¶. Nevertheless, by distilling a woman to a superficial image, the narrator does not relate to her in a subjective mode; rather, as the psychoanalyst Mary Ayers notes, ³>W@KH LPDJH RI REMHFWLILFDWLRQ LV D FDPHUD ZKLFK ³ORRNV DOZD\V DW DQG QHYHU LQWR ZKDWLWVHHV´ %DUILHOGTWLQ$\HUV1). In fact, Ghassemi argues that it is impossible WRJUDVSWKHZRPDQLQKHUWRWDOLW\DVWKH³LPDJLQDU\ERG\>DFFRUGLQJWR@%URRNVLV NQRZDEOH³RQO\SDUWLDOO\PHWRQ\PLFDOO\DQGIHWLVKLVWLFDOO\´  ´ *KDVVHPL  ,QGHHGWKHQDUUDWRU¶VPHQWDOFROODges of women are too often focussed on different body parts and zoom in on details of their external appearance. For instance, in The Book of Evidence )UHGGLH ³PDLQO\ IRFXVHV RQ WKH KLJKOLJKWHG YLVLEOH SDUWV RI WKH [painted] ZRPDQ¶VERG\ LHKHUKDQGVKHDGKDLUDQGIDFH ´ 0OOHU :KHUHDV Freddie metaphorically disassembles the portrait of the Woman in Gloves, he literally dismembers Josie Bell by brutally killing her with a hammer. In Ancient Light, a QRYHODERXW$OH[¶VUHFROOHFWLRQVRIKLVFKLOGKRRGORYH0UV*UD\$OH[VD\VWKDW³RI 0UV*UD\KHUVHOI>KH@ZDVXQDEOHWRFDOOXSDVDWLVIDFWRU\FOHDUDQGFRKHUHQWLPDJH´ DQGWKDWKH³FRXOGUHPHPEHUKHUFHUWDLQO\>KH@FRXOGEXWRQO\DVDVHULHVRIGLVSDUDWH DQGGLVSHUVHGSDUWV´ AL 46). He recalls heUDV³DERG\DVLWZHUHGLVPHPEHUHGRU VKRXOG >KH@ VD\ GLVDVVHPEOHG´ AL   ³D IUDJPHQWHG ZRPDQ´ AL   EXW ³WKH woman herself, the total she, that was what [he] could not have over again, in [his] PLQG´ AL 46 - 47). $JDLQWKHXVHRIWKHZRUG³GLVDVVHPEOHG´LOOXVWUDWHVKRZ$OH[¶V mental processes metaphorically fragment the image of Mrs Gray. In The Blue Guitar, Oliver is faced with a similar ordeal, namely to recall a coherent image of his PLVWUHVV3ROO\³,FRXOGUHFDOODQGFDQUHFDOOHYHU\WLQLHVt thing about her [Polly], in YLYLGHVWDQGDFKLQJPRVWGHWDLO « EXWRIWKHHVVHQWLDOVKHRQO\DZUDLWKUHPDLQHG XQJUDVSDEOHDVDZRPDQLQDGUHDP´ TBG 188). Thus, all narrators picture women with their photographic eye, which results in an objectified, abstracted and fragmented representation of women. In the following chapter, another mechanism of abstraction will be discussed, namely the recreation of women as REMHFWVG¶DUW.

46

5.2. Recreated women: Paintings, Sculptures and Theatre

:RPHQLQ%DQYLOOH¶VILFWLRQDUHUHSUHVHQWHGDVSDLQWLQJVVFXOSWXUHVDQGWKHDWULFDO scenes, which are often erotic in nature. In recreating women in his fantasy, the narrator aspires to be a divine magician who creates a world of his own to keep the real one at bay. The narrators, aspiring Prosperos, Adams and Pygmalions, aim to provide a male alternative for the female archcreativity of giving birth. Their frustrated creativity can be explained by their womb-envy or the jealousy of a ZRPDQ¶V IDFXOW\ WR JLYe birth, the ultimate creative output. In her book Psychoanalysis and Gender, Minsky writes that ³.OHLQ¶V FRQFHSW RI ZRPE-envy is YHU\LPSRUWDQWIRURXUXQGHUVWDQGLQJRIPDOHPLVRJ\Q\´ 0LQVN\ 

From a Kleinian perspective, patriarchal power and control may be seen as fuelled substantially E\ PDOH HQY\ RI µIHPLQLQLW\¶ RI ZKDW LV SHUFHLYHG DV WKH FUHDWLYH OLIH-giving power that µZRPDQ¶RULJLQDOO\V\PEROL]HVIRUWKHLQIDQW 0LQVN\ 

This chapter will discuss the different types of Banvillian creators, namely mathematicians, painters and actors who use their imagination, linguistic constructions and paint to recreate the women in their milieu. 7REHJLQZLWKLQ%DQYLOOH¶VVFLHQWLILFQRYHOMefistoWKHPDWKHPDWLFDO³SURGLJ\´ (Mefisto 52) Gabriel is employed on an international project financed by the minister WRGLVFRYHUDIRUPXODWRXQYHLO³WKHPHDQLQJRIOLIH´ Mefisto 170). Gabriel, however, has his own personal agenda: he wants to bring his deceased twin brother, who died in childbirth, back to life with this scientific formula.28

It was here, in the big world, that I would meet what I was waiting for, that perfect simple, UDYLVKLQJXQFKDOOHQJHDEOHIRUPXOD « $WWLPHV,IHOWLWZRXOGEXUVWRXWLQWREHLQJE\LWVRZQ force. And with it, surely would come everything else, that dead half of me I had hauled around DOZD\VDWP\VLGHZRXOGVRPHKRZWUHPEOHLQWROLIHDQG,ZRXOGEHPDGHZKROH,GRQ¶WNQRZ KRZ,GRQ¶WNQRZEXW,EHOLHYHGLW,ZDQWHGWREHOLHYHLW Mefisto 186)

28 Gabriel ³ZDVREVHVVHGZLWKWKHP\VWHU\RIWKHXQLW´ Mefisto 18), which can symbolize his obsession to restore the lost unison of him and his twin brother.

47 In The Book of Evidence, Freddie, unlike the other narrators, does not master a creative skill, but is an ardent admirer of the arts, a fascination triggered by his encounter with the painting of a Dutch woman. In her article about framing techniques in the Frame Trilogy, Müller writes that Freddie gives three different accounts of the Woman in GlovesZKLFKUHYHDOWKUHHGLIIHUHQWµZD\VRIVHHLQJ¶ILUVW he focuses on her different body parts, secondly he gives an objective account of the facts and figures of the painting and thirdly he fantasizes about the circumstances in ZKLFKWKHODG\¶VSRUWUDLWZDVWDNHQ&KDSWHU three  DOUHDG\LOOXVWUDWHG)UHGGLH¶V imaginative construction of the Woman in Gloves, which was his attempt to bring the painted woman to OLIH ,Q FRQWUDVW )UHGGLH ³NLOOHG´ D ZRPDQ RI IOHVK DQG EORRG ³EHFDXVH IRU >KLP@ VKH ZDV QRW DOLYH´ TBE 215), for which he believes his failed LPDJLQDWLRQLVWREODPH³7KLVLVWKHZRUVWWKHHVVHQWLDOVLQ,WKLQNWKHRQHIRUZKLFK there will be no forgiveness: that I never imagined her vividly enough, that I never PDGHKHUEHWKHUHVXIILFLHQWO\WKDW,GLGQRWPDNHKHUOLYH´ TBE 215). The protagonist of Eclipse and Ancient Light is an actor whose desire it is to infuse life into his characters, namel\³WREHWKHPWKHYRLFHOHVVRQHV´ Eclipse 11). In fact, Alex also imagines new lives and storylines for women in his environment. For instance, before he knew Lydia he ³PDGHXSOLYHVIRUKHU´QDPHO\WKDW³>V@KHZDV foreign, of course, the runaway daughtHURIDQDULVWRFUDWLFIDPLO\´ Eclipse 34). An even more striking example is his mental creation of a ghost trio featuring his dead GDXJKWHUKHUXQERUQFKLOGDQGKLPVHOIYLVLRQVKLVPLQGFRQMXUHGXS³IRUHYHU\WKLQJ their very existence, depended on [him@´ Eclipse 167). In addition, Alex frequently uses cinematic or theatrical elements as well as references to art and literature to describe his women. For example, when Alex sees his wife Lydia sleepwalking he is ³UHPLQGHG RI RQH RI WKRVH WUDJLF TXHHQV LQ WKH *UHHN GUDPD´ AL 19). He further refers to Lydia in terms of colours by describing her ³WKLFNGDUNKDLU>WKURXJKZKLFK@ DEURDGSOXPHRIVLOYHUIORZVXSIURPWKHOHIWWHPSOHDVWDUWLQJVLOYHUIUDPH´ Eclipse 7). )XUWKHUPRUH $OH[ GHVFULEHV 0UV *UD\¶V naked body by a range of greyish colours, a clear allusion to her name: ³>K@HUFRORXUVIRUPHZHUHJUH\QDWXUDOO\EXW a particular lilac-grey, and umber, and rose, and another tint, hard to name ±dark tea? EUXLVHGKRQH\VXFNOH"´ AL 127). In the following quote Alex also seems to mentally paint Mrs Gray in a variety of colours and shades.

48 Rubens has a lot to answer for ± KHU>0UV*UD\¶V@ERG\GLVSOD\HGGLVFRQFHUWLQJO\DUDQJHRI muted tints from magnesium white to silver and tin, a scumbled sort of yellow, pale ochre, and even in places a faint greenishness and, in the hollows, a shadowing of mossy mauve. (AL 30)

According to Ghassemi, who analysed the Eclipse-Shroud trilogy in his PhD, ³>Z@KDW is invoked is the idea that the narrator imposes his colours on the woman as a clean VODWHVRWRVSHDNWKHZRPDQDVD³SDOH´XQFRORXUHGFDQYDV´ZKHUH³>K@HLVQRWVR much interested in representing her as he is obsessed with presenting his own ± painted ± YHUVLRQV RI KHU´ *KDVVHPL   ,Q RWher words, Alex displaces the PRWKHU¶V JLYLQJOLIHby a male kind of creation, which to him is more intense than µQRUPDO¶OLIH ,Q%DQYLOOH¶VODWHVWQRYHOThe Blue Guitar, Oliver is a painter and perhaps in that respect the most prototypical Banvillian narrator as he does not only mentally, but also literally distil women on canvas.29 3DLQWLQJ LV IRU KLP DQ DWWHPSW ³WR WDNH WKH world into [him]self and make it over, to make something new of it, something vivid DQGYLWDO´ TBG  OLNH³>D@ERDFRQVWULFWRU>ZLWK@DKXJHZLGH-open mouth slowly, slowly swallowing, trying to swallow, gagging on enormity (TBG 58).30 Oliver FRQVWDQWO\ HQYLVLRQV ZRPHQ DV SDLQWLQJV ERWK LQ FRORXU DQG FRPSRVLWLRQ ³>VLQFH@ >WKDW@¶VZKDW>KH@GR>HV@>KH@WUDQVIRUPHYHU\WKLQJLQWRDVFHQHDQGIUDPH>V@LW´ TBG 116). For instance, his mistress ³3ROO\ LQ D ZKLWH VXPPHU GUHVV´ UHPLQGV KLP RI ³0DQHW¶V'pMHXQHUVXUO¶KHUEH´ TBG  DQGZKHQVKH³VDWZLWKKHUILVWVSUHVVHGWR her cheek, gazing starkly before her, [she reminded him of] that oddly blurry angel in 'UHU¶VMelencolia´ TBG  2OLYHU¶VZLIH*ORULDRQWKHRWKHUKDQGLVPRUHRID ³7LHSROR´W\SHZKRPKHGHVFULEHVE\YDULRXVFRORXUVDQGPHWDOOLFVKDGHV

I think of her in terms of various metals, gold, of course, because of her hair, and silver for her skin, but there is something in her too of the opulence of brass and bronze: she has a wonderful shine to her, a stately glow. In fact, she is a Tiepolo type rather than a Manet type, one of the VeneWLDQPDVWHU¶V&OHRSDWUDVVD\RUKLV%HDWULFHRI%XUJXQG\ TBG 9)

29 Oliver also made a painting of his mother on her deathbed: it was ³like a sacred relic, the portrait I did of my PRWKHUZKHQVKHZDVG\LQJ´ TBG 249). 30 This is an image of the dangerous, smothering and child-devouring mother.

49 Another female character, ³0LVV9DQGHOHXU>@ « KDGWKHORRNRIDUDYDJHGYHUVLRQ of the flower-VWUHZLQJ)ORUDWRWKHOHIWRIWKHFHQWUDOILJXUHLQ6DQGUR%RWLFHOOL¶VPXFK admired if slightly saccharine Primavera´ TBG 32). 0RUHRYHU2OLYHU¶VGHVFULSWLRQV of women also contain refHUHQFHVWRWKHWKHDWUH)RUH[DPSOH2OLYHU¶VZLIH*ORULDLV ³VXFKDZRQGHUIXOO\ROG-fashioned creature, both chilly and warm, like one of those YDPSVLQWKHROGPRYLHV´ TBG 192). Moreover, Oliver imagines that his wife will reveal herself to him by performing a striptease, a mix of theatre and corporality: ³'HVSLWHWKHWLPHWKDWZHKDYHEHHQWRJHWKHU,VWLOOIHHOOLNHDQROG-style bridegroom on his wedding night, waiting with burning impatience and not a little trepidation for his brand-new bride to let fall her chemise and loose her stays and at last reveal KHUVHOILQDOOKHUEOXVKLQJEDUHQHVV´ TBG 91). Nevertheless, Oliver, as all the other narrators, quits his artistic profession.31 Aside from framing women as paintings, narrators like to give women different QDPHV ZKLFK VDWLVILHV WKHLU IDQWDV\ WR EH HQGRZHG ZLWK $GDP¶V SRZHU RI nomenclature. First of all, it is important to note that the names Banville attributes to KLV FKDUDFWHUV DUH QHYHU FRLQFLGHQWDO EXW WKDW WKH ³naming of characters is one of BanYLOOH¶V IDYRXULWH VW\OLVWLF JDPHV D NLQG RI VKRUWKDQG RU SRHWLF FRGH´ 0F0LQQ 183).32 In an interview with Haughton and 5DGOH\%DQYLOOHUHPDUNHG³,WKLQNHYHU\ QRYHOLVW NQRZV WKLV WKDW RQFH \RX¶YH JRW WKH QDPHV \RX¶YH JRW WKH WKLQJ EHDWHQ \RX¶YH ZUHVWOHG LW WR WKH JURXQG´ %DQYLOOH TW LQ Haughton and Radley 858). Secondly, the male narrators either exploit the names of the female characters to underscore their objectifying meaning, or they adorn their women with new nicknames, labelling them as mythological figures or as animals. For example, in The Book of Evidence)UHGGLHUHMRLFHVLQKLVZLIH'DSKQH¶VQDPH because it refers to a myth in which a woman is objectified: the nymph Daphne, a daughter of the river god Pineios and the goddess of the earth Gaia, is turned into a laurel tree by her father to secure her from the furious embraces of the love-struck

31 GDEULHOKDVVWRSSHGKLVTXHVWIRUWKHPDWKHPDWLFDOIRUPXODWRGHFLSKHUOLIHDQG³ZLOOOHDYHWKLQJV « WRFKDQFH´ Mefisto  $OH[¶VDFWLQJFDUHHULQWKHWKHDWUHVWRSSHGDIWHU he played the role of Amphitryon, however in Ancient Light KH IHDWXUHV LQ D PRYLH DERXW $[HO 9DQGHU 7KH ³ODVW WKLQJ [Oliver] was working on, the unfinished piece that finished [him] for good [was] the blimp-coloured JXLWDU´ TBG 103). 32 Either %DQYLOOH¶VQDPHVFDQEHWDNHQOLWHUDOO\RUWKH\DUHDQDJUDPVZKLFKFDQEHGHFLSKHUHG

50 $SROOR )UHGGLH¶V SUHIHUHQFH IRU IDQWDV\ QDPHV LV IXUWKHU LOOXVWUDWHG LQ WKH SDVVDJH where he calls his one-night stand, whose real nDPHLV ³0DULDQ´ TBE 183), ³>KLV@ *UHWFKHQ´ TBE   EHFDXVH ³>V@KH VPHOOHG WKH EORRG DQG WKH KRUURU DQG GLG QRW UHFRLO´ TBE 182) and is thus prepared to temporarily submerge herself in his darkness in the same way Gretchen betrayed her morals to be with Faust. Afterwards, Freddie calls his one-QLJKWVWDQG³DUDYDJHG1HIHUWLWL´ TBE 183), which, aside from KHUEHDXW\GHVFULEHVKRZVKHLVXVHGEHVPLUFKHGDQG³UDYDJHG´E\WKHLUEULHIVH[XDO encounter. In Eclipse, $OH[¶VSHWQDPHVIRU&DVVQDPHO\³-RDQRI$UF´ Eclipse 74), Zephyr (Eclipse 203) and ³0\ 0DULQD P\ 0LUDQGD RK P\ 3HUGLWD´ Eclipse 214)33 are borrowed from literary and historic sources, whereby she is stripped from her individuality and embedded in an overarching cultural tradition. Alex also uses several mythical names to describe Mrs *UD\RIZKLFK³6KHKHUD]DGHDQG3HQHORSH´ (AL 124), ³Danaë´34 and ³5HPEUDQG¶V6DVNLD´ AL 148) are a few striking examples. Moreover, /\GLD¶VQDPHLV³DPLVKHDULQJRI>KLV@WKDWVWXFN´ AL 17) because Alex prHIHUVWKHHOHJDQWQDPH/\GLDRYHUKHU³UHDORUJLYHQQDPH « /HDK´ Eclipse 35), whereby she is reduced to an acoustic figure in his mental poetry. Alex also claims WKDW³WKLVVXUUHQGHUDQGVXEVWLWXWLRQRIQDPHV´QDPHO\WKHVKLIWIURPLeah which in ³in +HEUHZ «  PHDQV FRZ´ Eclipse 36) to the more elegant and refined name /\GLD ³ZRUNHG D GHHSHU FKDQJH LQ KHU WKDQ RQH RI PHUH QRPHQFODWXUH >EHFDXVH@ >I@URP /HDK WR /\GLD LV QR VPDOO MRXUQH\´ Eclipse 35). This assumes a literal interpretation of names, which can be frequently detected in Eclipse and Ancient Light DV LI /\GLD OLWHUDOO\ PHWDPRUSKRVHG IURP D µFRZ¶ LQWR D µSULQFHVV¶ 6RPH striking examples, among many more, are ³0LVV)OXVKLQJ0U*UD\¶VDVVLVWDQW´ AL 182) whose cheeks appear to be permanentO\µIOXVKHG¶DVVKH³JDYHDVHQVHRIDOO- over fairness and pinkness, and there was a faint, delicate shine, like that on the inner whorl of a seashell, along the edges of her nostrils and the rims of her slightly starting H\HV´ AL 183). Another example is ³0LVV.HWWOH´ Eclipse 196) who is described as a ³VHFUHWWHQDQWRIWKHKRXVH´ZKRLV³ZHDULQJ>KLV@PRWKHU¶VDSURQ´³SRXUHGWKHWHD´ DQG³SUHSDUHGRQHRIWKRVHTXLQWHVVHQWLDODUFKDLFPHDOVRIFKLOGKRRG´ Eclipse 196).

33 :LONLQVRQ ZULWHV WKDW ³HDUO\ LQ KLV WDOH &OHDYH UHIHUV WR KLV GDXJKWHU DV 0LUDQGD LQYRNLQJ The Tempest DQG3URVSHUR¶VMHDORXVDWWDFKPHQWWRKLVRQO\GDXJKWHU´ :LONLQVRQ . 34 'DQDsOLNH/HGDZDVRQHRI=HXV¶DEXVHGZRPHQ

51 Next to mythological and literary names, the narrators also attribute names and adjectives to the female characters that refer to animals. Interestingly, women are often described by isotopies of birds, which is a striking inversion of the Leda myth: while Leda was raped by Zeus disguised as a swan, she is the one who is turned into a bird here. Leda is one of those divinely abused women, and in that sense vintage Banville, whose narrators always abuse women by either re-codifying them in Classic mythology or by traditional European (male) paintings. Alex, for instance, describes KRZ KDYLQJ VH[XDO LQWHUFRXUVH ZLWK /\GLD ZDV ³OLNH FODVSLQJ LQ >KLV@ DUPV D ELJ marvellous flustered bird that cooed and cawed and thrashed wild wings and shuddered at the end and sank down beneath [him] helplessly with faint woeful- VRXQGLQJ FULHV´ Eclipse   'DZQ 'HYRQSRUW LV LQ WXUQ GHVFULEHG DV ³D SOXFNHG FKLFNHQ´ AL  ZKRVH³KDQG « >UHVHPEOHV@DELUG¶VFODZ´ AL 213). Cass has a nickname borrowed from the animal world, naPHO\³+HGJHKRJ « EHFDXVHRIWKH WLQ\ VQXIIOLQJ QRLVHV VKH PDGH´ Eclipse   0RUHRYHU $OH[ IRXQG .LWW\¶V QDPH TXLWHVRRWKLQJDVVKHZDVD³OLWWOHPRQVWHU´ AL 100) and ³WKHUHZDVVRPHWKLQJIHOLQH in the way she would slit her eyes when she smiled at [hLP@´ AL 13). /DVWO\WKHQDUUDWRU¶VGUHDPRIFRQFHSWLRQLVDOVRSUHVHQWLQKLVGHVLUHWRJLYHELUWK WR KLV GDXJKWHU )RU LQVWDQFH $OH[ FDOOV KLV GDXJKWHU &DVV ³0\ 0LQHUYD´ Eclipse   UHIHUULQJ WR ³>W@KH P\WK RI -XSLWHU DQG 0LQHUYD &OHDYH¶V GUHDP RI paternal FRQFHSWLRQ´ :LONLQVRQ   :LONLQVRQ ZULWHV WKDW ³>H@OVHZKHUH &DVV LV OLQNHG WR Minerva, the virgin goddess (Greek Athena) who emerged fully armed from the head RIKHUIDWKHU-XSLWHU´ :LONLQVRQ /LNHZLVH2OLYHUVHOI-importantly boosts that ³2OLYLD >WKHLU@ GDXJKWHU ZDV FDOOHG DIWHU >KLP@ REYLRXVO\´ TBG 69), as if he is H[FOXGLQJ KLV ZLIH *ORULD IURP WKHLU GDXJKWHU¶V FRQFHSWLRQ )XUWKHUPRUH WKH QDUUDWRU¶V ZRPE-envy extends even further as their male imagination needs the destruction of their parents so that they can be their own parent, a typical narcissistic character trait.35 For example, on the final page of Mefisto*DEULHOGHFODUHV³,ZDQW QRSURWHFWRUVQRZ,ZDQWWREHWREHZKDW,GRQ¶WNQRZ1DNHG)OD\HG$KRZOLQJ babe, ZDYLQJIXULRXVILVWV,GRQ¶WNQRZ´ Mefisto 234). Oliver, in The Blue Guitar, VLPLODUO\ UHPDUNV ³LW ZDV WKH GHDWK RI P\ SDUHQWV , VHFUHWO\ ORRNHG IRUZDUG WR

35 7KLV LV FORVHO\ FRQQHFWHG WR WKH QDUUDWRU¶V LQDELOLW\ WR DFNQRZOHGJH WUDQVJHQHUDWLRQDO ERXQGDULHV which was discussed in chapter four (4.1.).

52 thinking it must be the birth of me, a delivery into my trXHVWDWHRIVHOIKRRG´ TBG 201 - 202). 7KXV WKH QDUUDWRU¶V LQQDWH XUJH WR UH FUHDWH ZRPHQ E\ UHSUHVHQWLQJ WKHP DV tableaux and sculptures or with references to the theatre and by attributing names to them, borrowed from literary and mythological references or from isotopies of animals, is not only a means of abstraction, but also a way to deal with their womb- envy and overall paranoia. Nevertheless, one could argue that they appear as reversed Pygmalions who turn women into REMHFWVG¶DUW instead of the other way around.

5.3. Male Voyeurism and Female Exhibitionism: The Convention of The Nude

:RPHQDUHQRWRQO\SDLQWHGE\WKHQDUUDWRU¶VµLPDJLQDWLYHSHQFLO¶WKH\DUHDWWKH same time, submitted to the pictorial traditions of the nude in Western oil painting, where the supposed observer and owner of the painting is male, the depicted subject a QDNHG ZRPDQ 0OOHU ZURWH WKDW %DQYLOOH¶V ³ZRPHQ DUH FRQVWUXFWHG ± in the QDUUDWRU¶VLPDJLQDWLRQ± along the line of a painterly tradition that represents them as objects of the male imagination and RIWKHJD]H´ 0OOHU  Ghassemi has a similar opinion as Müller; he writes that ³ZRPHQ DUH DVVLJQHG LQ WKH ³H[KLELWLRQLVW UROH´ ZKHUHLQ WKHLU DSSHDUDQFH EHFRPHV ³FRGHG IRU VWURQJ YLVXDO DQG HURWLF LPSDFW´ (Ghassemi 208). This chapter will briefly show how, since the Frame Trilogy, the PDOHJD]HRI%DQYLOOH¶V QDUUDWRUVWUDQVIRUPV WKHIemale characters into nudes, with H[SODQDWLRQVIURP-RKQ%HUJHU¶VWays of Seeing. ,QGHHG YR\HXULVWLF IDQWDVLHV DUH FRPPRQ SKHQRPHQD LQ %DQYLOOH¶V QRYHOV )UHGGLHIRULQVWDQFHIDQWDVL]HVDERXWWKH³ELJJLUOZLWKWKHUHGQHFNKHKDGIROORZHG through the sWUHHWV´ TBE  DQG$OH[LV³DVHFUHWVWDONHU´ZKR³IROORZ>V@SHRSOH SLFN>V@WKHP RXW DW UDQGRP LQ WKH VWUHHW DQG VKDGRZ>V@WKHP´ Eclipse 100). Alex, who has been spying on a red-KDLUHGZRPDQLQKHUEDWKURRPVD\VWKDW³>L@QQRFHQWRI being watched, she was naked; aware of [his] eye on her, she would have turned into DQXGH´ Eclipse  $OH[¶VGHVFULSWLRQUHYHDOVKLVNQRZOHGJHRIWKHSLFWRULDOQXGH which John Berger has elaborated on in his book Ways of Seeing. Berger claims that ³>D@ QDNHG ERG\ KDV WR EH VHHQ DV DQ REMHFW LQ RUGHU WR EHFRPH D QXGH´ DQG WKDW ³>Q@DNHGQHVVUHYHDOVLWVHOI>ZKHUHDV@>Q@XGLW\LVSODFHGRQGLVSOD\´ %HUJHU ,Q

53 IDFW $OH[¶V GHVFULSWLRQV RI KLV ORYHU 0UV *UD\ DUH VWURQJO\ GHWHUPLQHG E\ WKLV painterly tradition of the nudHDV0UV*UD\¶VERG\LVRIWHQVWUDWHJLFDOO\SRVHGLQRUGHU WRGLVSOD\KHUQXGLW\WR$OH[)RUH[DPSOH$OH[¶VILUVWYLHZRI0UV*UD\¶VERG\ZDV WKURXJK³WKHFHQWUDOSDQHORIWKHPLUURURQWKHGUHVVLQJ-WDEOH « >ZKLFK@IUDPHGKHU torso, breasts and belly and that smudge of darkness lower down, while the panels at HLWKHUVLGHVKRZHGKHUDUPVDQGKHUHOERZV´DQGKHVDZKHU³VLQJOHH\HVRPHZKHUH at the top, fixed on [him] levelly and with the hint of a challenge, as if to say Yes, here I am, what do you make of me?´ AL 30). Alex even takes this pictorial tradition to another level when he imagines himself to transcend from his human body in order to watch him and Mrs Gray making love.

[A]nd then ±it was the strangest thing ±then I saw us there, actually saw us, as if I were standing in the doorway looking into the room, saw me hunched against her, canted a little to the left with my shoulder lifted, saw the shirt wet between my shoulder-blades and the seat of my wet trousers sagging, saw my hands on her, and one of her glossy knees flexed, and her face paling above my left shoulder and her eyes staring. (AL 219 - 220)

6LPLODUO\$OH[KDVDGUHDPLQZKLFKKHLVDOORZHG³RQO\DWKUHH-TXDUWHUVYLHZ´RI³D ZRPDQ « O\LQJEDFN\RXQJDPSOHLPSRVVLEO\pale-skinned, her naked arms lifted DQGKLGLQJKHUIDFHLQDEDQGRQPHQWDQGVKDPH´DQGD³VODYH>ZKR@WXUQHGKHUKHDG and looked at [him] over her shoulder with a broad, jaunty grin and for [his] benefit MRJJOHG KHU PLVWUHVV¶V JDSLQJ IOHVK´ Eclipse 25). AlH[¶V GUHDP LV UHPLQLVFHQW RI %HUJHU¶VDQDO\VLVRIWKHSDLQWLQJ Allegory of Time and Love by Bronzino in which ³>K@HU >WKH QXGH¶V@ ERG\ LV WKH ZD\ LW LV WR GLVSOD\ LW WR WKH PDQ ORRNLQJ DW WKH SLFWXUH>@ «  WR DSSHDO WR KLV VH[XDOLW\> ZKHUHDV@ >L@W KDV Qothing to do with her VH[XDOLW\´ %HUJHU  In her analysis of The Book of Evidence0OOHUZURWHWKDW³Freddie represents his own obsession with the Woman with Gloves within a conventional, cultural and ideological framework of gendered roles within the field of vision that supposes that ORRNLQJ LV D ³PDOH´ DFWLYLW\ ZKLOH WKH REMHFW RI ORRNLQJ LV JHQGHUHG DV ³IHPDOH´ ´ (Müller 190).36 Furthermore, )UHGGLH¶VZLIH'DSKQHLVGHVFULEHGDVDQ\PSKZKRLV

36 Chapter three analyzed the impact of the SDLQWHG ZRPDQ¶V defiant gaze in The Book of Evidence, which reverses these gender roles and in turn gives Freddie the feeling that he is the one who is being watched.

54 ³ORRNLQJDZD\ZLWKDVPDOOIURZQZKLOHVRPHPLQRUJRGLQWKHVKDSHRIDIDXQ «  YDLQO\ SOD\LQJ KLV KHDUW RXW IRU KHU´ TBE 7): the theme of the faun spying on a beautiful naked, often sleeping woman who is either a nymph or a goddess, is another thematic variation of Western nudes. 7KXV %DQYLOOH¶V ZRPHQ DUe subjected to an objectifying male gaze, which transforms them into nudes. The following chapter will discuss another convention in Western art, namely the depiction of nudes as divine creatures.

5.4. Femmes Fatales, Witches and Goddesses

This chapter wLOO GLVFXVV WKH QDUUDWRU¶V WHQGHQF\ WR LGROL]H RU GHVSLVH ZRPHQ which will be linked to his womb-HQY\DQGQDUFLVVLVWLFFKDUDFWHU%DQYLOOH¶VZRPHQ are either represented as divine goddesses, often linked with the cult of Mother Mary (chapter 1.2.), or as stereotypical witches or whores, with allusions to the amorous goddess Venus or to the seductive Eve. In his book John Banville, Kenny links these UHIHUHQFHVWRGLYLQHZRPHQWRWKHSLFWRULDOWUDGLWLRQ³%DQYLOOH¶VLGHDOL]HG:RPDQLV the contemporary fetishized and idolized version of the beautiful women lyrically described in the idylls of classical Greek poetry, the original examples of pictorial REVHVVLRQ´ .HQQ\ John Banville 158). This chapter will give examples from the novels The Book of Evidence, Eclipse, Ancient Light and The Blue Guitar to illustrate how the narrator elevates or castigates the female characters. )LUVWO\WKHELQDU\LPDJHRIZRPHQFDQEHOLQNHGWRWKHQDUUDWRU¶VZRPEHQY\,Q her book Psychoanalysis and Gender, Minsky writes thDW ³>W@KH FXOWXUDO UHSUHVHQWDWLRQ RI ZRPHQ E\ SDWULDUFKDO PHQ DV µ0DGRQQD¶ µJRGGHVV¶ µZKRUH¶ µFKLFN¶ RU µZLWFK¶ DV HLWKHU LQILQLWHO\ SRZHUIXO RU XWWHUO\ KHOSOHVV VXJJHVWs the presence of idealisation and denigration and an ambivalent relationship between patriarchal men and women which is saturated with male dependency projected unto ZRPHQ´ 0LQVN\  ± 94). Moreover, Minsky links these radical shifts between DGRUDWLRQ DQG DEMHFWLRQ WR WKH QDUUDWRU¶V QDUFLVVLVP 6KH H[SODLQV WKDW ³>W@KH idealisation of someone else, as with the mother, inevitably involves a parallel idealisation of the self; it enables those who idealize to introject or fill themselves up ZLWKDJRRGUHIOHFWLRQRIWKHVHOI´ 0LQVN\ 7KHUHIRUHDQDUFLVVLVWIDOOVLQORYH with his own enhanced self-LPDJHUHIOHFWHGLQKLVORYHU¶VH\HVEXWVKLHVDZD\IURP

55 WKHUHODWLRQVKLSRQFHWKHVSHOOLVEURNHQEHFDXVHKLVORYHU¶VKXPDQIODZVLQHYLWDEO\ UHPLQG KLP RI KLV RZQ ZKLFK H[SODLQV ZK\ %DQYLOOH¶V QDUUDWRUV DOZD\V UXQ DZD\ when their relationships become challenging or why they embark on extramarital relationships to boost their ego. In Eclipse and Ancient Light, for instance, Alex either elevates or detests his wives and mistresses. For example, Alex alternatively represents his wife Lydia as a ³GHVHUW SULQFHVV VWULGLQJ DPLGVW D VHD RI VDQG´ Eclipse   D PDWHUQDO ILJXUH RU ³KRPH- PDNHU´ Eclipse  DQGDZKRUHZKRZDV³VZD\LQJKHUPHDJUHKLSVWKHOLWWOHVOXW´ (Eclipse   6KH LV DOVR GHVFULEHG DV D IHOLQH VHGXFWUHVV DV KH ³GLG QRW OLNH What smile, complicit, feline, expressive of that primitive conspiracy of the flesh [they] had HQWHUHGXSRQDJDLQLQWKHQLJKW´ Eclipse  0RUHRYHU$OH[³RIWHQWKLQN>V@WKDWLQ DQRWKHU DJH >KLV@ /\GLD PLJKW KDYH EHHQ WDNHQ IRU D ZLWFK´ AL 77). Furthermore, $OH[¶V ORYHU 'RUD ZDV ³>KLV@ ILUVW PDQLIHVWDWLRQ RI WKH PXVH´ AL 84), and is GHVFULEHGDV³DVRUWRILQYHUWHGPRWKHUFDUQDODQGSURIDQH´ Eclipse 84). Similarly, Mrs Gray is both a maternal and a seductive woman, which was already remarked by 2¶&RQQHOO³)URPKLV>$OH[¶V@ILUVWJOLPSVHRIKHUKHIDEULFDWHVDQLGHDOL]HGYHUVLRQ RIKHUDVDNLQGRIVH[XDOL]HGPDWHUQDOILJXUH µ0\9HQXV'RPHVWLFD¶ DFRPSRVLWH HPERGLPHQW RI IHPLQLQH LGHDOV´ 2¶&RQQHOO   ,QGHHG 0UV *UD\ LV FRPSDUHG WR ³WKH/DG\9HQXV´ AL  RU³WKHDPDWRU\JRGGHVV´ AL 33) and her birth month is situated in April, which is the month of Venus. Moreover, Mrs Gray is also compared to the seductive Eve: Alex describes him and Mrs Gray after their sexual intercourse DV³EDVKIXO « DV$GDPDQG(YHLQWKHJDUGHQDIWHUWKHDSSOHZDVHDWHQ´ AL 43). 1HYHUWKHOHVV ZKHQ 0UV *UD\ UHOHDVHV DQ ³DEUXSW VRIW IDUW´ KHU GLYLQH DXUD LV VKDWWHUHGDQG$OH[ILQGVKHU³WKRURXJKO\LQHVFDSDEO\DWWLPHVGLVPD\LQJO\KXPDQ ZLWKDOODKXPDQ¶VIUDLOWLHVDQGIDLOLQJV´ AL  ,Q%DQYLOOH¶VODWHVWERRN2OLYHU¶V LPDJH RI ZRPHQ VLPLODUO\ VKLIWV GUDVWLFDOO\ IURP ³DGRUDWLRQ >WR@ DEMHFWLRQ´ TBG 148), especially with his mistress Polly, who after the initial butterflies had vanished, ³KDGORVWVRPHWKLQJHVVHQWLDO´VRWKDWVKHZDV³XQDYRLGDEO\KHUVHOI « DQGQRWZKDW >KH@ KDG PDGH RI KHU´ TBG 175). When Polly falls off her pedestal, she becomes terrifyingly human.

As a deity, the deity of my own desiring, she had been perfectly comprehensible, my very own little Venus reclining in the crook of my arm; now, as what she really was, herself and nothing more, a human creature made of flesh and blood and bone, she was terrifying. (TBG 178)

56

In short, LQ %DQYLOOH¶V ILFWLRQ WKH QDUUDWRU¶V SHUVSHFWLYH RQ ZRPHQ VKLIts from idealization to abjection. Similar to his quest for the essence of womanhood, the stereotypical representation of women as either saints or whores shows his childishness as well as his fear for women and his subsequent desire to embed them in abstract categories in order to keep them at a less threatening distance.

6. Is Banville an Anti-feminist Writer or not?

So far, this paper has illustrated the several ways in which the female characters in %DQYLOOH¶VRHXYUHDUHsilenced, transformed into abstract entities and reduced to the QDUUDWRU¶V LPDJLQDWLRQ DQG FUHDWLYLW\ 7KLV UDLVHV WKH TXHVWLRQ of whether or not Banville is an anti-feminist writer. This chapter will provide an overview of the opinions of the critics discussed in this paper as a starting point for a meaningful debate. Some critics argue that Banville uses the convention of the male gaze and the pictorial nude to adapt or even uncover the framing techniques commonly used in Western art. Kenny, for instance, argues that ³>W@KH FRQFHSW RI WKH PDOH JD]H (predatory, lustful, idealizing) is just that: a concept, a literary and artistic figure or WURSH´ .HQQ\John Banville  DQGWKDW³>G@HVLUHDQGWKHREMHFWRIGHVLUHRSHUDWH as a union in Banville, but [that] this must be thought of not in terms of any discussions about real or accurate characterizations of women but as a symbolic HQDFWPHQW RI WKH FRQFHSW RI WKH VXEOLPH´ .HQQ\ John Banville 163). Anja Müller DOVRFODLPVWKDWLQWKH)UDPH7ULORJ\³>R@QDPHWDWextual level, the very idea of the frame is challenged as an instrument that guides our perception and presents us with DQ LPPHGLDWH VLJQ´ 0OOHU   6KH writes WKDW ³%DQYLOOH¶V H[FHVVLYH SOD\ ZLWK IUDPHVWKXVVKLIWVWKHUHDGHU¶VDWWHQWLRQDZD\IURPWKH represented women within the frame to the very mechaQLVPV RI UHSUHVHQWDWLRQ LWVHOI´ (Müller 201). On the other hand, Coughlan DUJXHVWKDWUDWKHUWKDQH[SRVLQJWKHIUDPHV%DQYLOOH¶V SRVWPRGHUQ fictions do not question, let alone subvert the existing conventions of female objectification.

57 But can we argue that these fictions of Banville, while putting so much in question epistemologically, ideologically, even ontologically, do other than leave the gender system untouched? And if not, is it a flaw in his arW" « 'HVSLWHWKHLURQ\VDWLULFUHSUHVHQWDWLRQRI solipsism, and postmodern de-VXEVWDQWLDWLQJGRWKHVHWH[WVFRQWLQXHWRµSURMHFWWKH>IHPLQLQH@ other as an outside, as a space of ideological escape from Western rationalit\¶" )RVWHUTWLQ Coughlan 97 - 98)

In contrast, '¶KRNHU VD\V WKDW VLQFH %DQYLOOH¶V YLVLRQ RI DUW LV VXPPDUL]HG LQ WKH poetical idea of O¶DUW SRXU O¶DUW WKH TXHVWLRQ ZKHWKHU %DQYLOOH¶V UHSUHVHQWDWLRns of women are ethical is UHGXQGDQW '¶KRNHU¶V DUJXPHQWV DUH IRXQGHG RQ ³%DQYLOOH¶V GHSUHFLDWLYH VWDWHPHQWV DERXW WKH SROLWLFDO DQ SHUVRQDO FRQWHQW RI DUW´ '¶KRNHU Visions of Alterity  DQGKLVVWDWHPHQWLQDQLQWHUYLHZZLWK)LQWDQ2¶7RROHWKDW³$UW is amoral, that is neither moUDO QRU LPPRUDO´ %DQYLOOH TW LQ '¶+RNHU Visions of Alterity 77). Ghassemi also claims that the representation of women does not QHFHVVDULO\ UHIOHFW WKH QDUUDWRU¶V YLHZ RQ ZRPHQ EXW UDWKHU UHYHDOV WKH PDOH SURWDJRQLVW¶V QDUFLVVLVWLF QHHG WR ILQG KLV authentic identity through the (female) RWKHU+HDUJXHVWKDW³%DQYLOOH¶VILFWLRQLVDQH[SORUDWLRQRIWKHDOWHULW\DWWKHKHDUWRI any subjectivity, of the fact that the self is never self-FRQWDLQHG´ *KDVVHPL  In short, this brief overview illustrates that there is no consensus on whether or not %DQYLOOH¶VILFWLRQLVDQWL-feminist and that there is still room for discussion.

7. Conclusion

In this paper I investigated the representation of women, with a particular focus on mothers, in five novels from different periods LQ %DQYLOOH¶V oeuvre, drawing from H[LVWLQJ DUWLFOHV RQ IHPLQLQLW\ DQG HURWLFD LQ %DQYLOOH¶V ZRUN DQG $QJOR-Saxon SV\FKRDQDO\VLVVSHFLILFDOO\WDUJHWHGRQWKHQDUFLVVLVW¶VEHKDYLRXUWRZDUGVWKH IHPDOH  other. The first chapter LOOXVWUDWHG%DQYLOOH¶VIDVFLQDWLRQIRUGLYLQHO\DEXVHGZRPHQ and its implications on the paternal uncertainty and divine maternity in his novels. Moreover, this chapter zoomed in on the devotion to Mother Mary, which can be OLQNHGWRWKHQDUUDWRU¶VIDVFLQDtion for his mother, as a recurring theme LQ%DQYLOOH¶V fiction. In addition, I illustrated how the narrator uses religious symbolism and the ghosts of his dead family members to come to terms with his past and to keep his parents and/or daughter at a safer distance than in real life. Moreover, I have proved

58 WKDWWKHPRWKHU¶VKRPHWKHORFXVRIWKHVHXQFDQQ\HQFRXQWHUVDQGWKHSODFHWRZKLFK every narrator retreats, is an important motif in all of the novels discussed and functions as a magnified version of WKHGHFHDVHGPRWKHU¶VZRPE. The main topic in chapter two is the QDUFLVVLVW¶V SHUFHSWLRQRI women as an extension of himself, his reduction of them to mirroring surfaces and his avoidance of emotional confrontations. (VSHFLDOO\2OLYHUWKHSURWDJRQLVWRI%DQYLOOH¶Vmost recent novel, is a prototype of the heartless, insensitive and egoistic Banvillian narrator. Chapter three elaborates on how the narrator is affOLFWHGE\WKHRWKHU¶VDOWHULW\PDQLIHVWHGLQ their eyes and corporeality, which results in shame. Moreover, I argued that it is not only the physical presence of women the narrators find disconcerting, but also their sexual agency, especially when two women conspire against the male protagonist. In the fourth chapter, I argued that the pre-Oedipal competitive behaviour of the narcissist towards male authorities DQGKLVKLJKGHPDQGIRUKLVPRWKHU¶VDWWHQWLRQFDXVHV him to give a highly subjective description of his memories, in which he minimizes the impact of father figures and siblings. Moreover, his infantile behaviour towards women and his manipulation, use and abuse of women for his own pleasure was discussed)XUWKHUPRUH,GLVFXVVHGWKHQDUUDWRU¶VGLVUHVSHFWIRU2HGLSDOERXQGDULHV which become increasingly comSOLFDWHG WRZDUGV %DQYLOOH¶V PRUH recent novels: whereas The Book of Evidence DOUHDG\ LQFOXGHG )UHGGLH¶V VH[XDO IDQWDVLHV RI KLV mother, Eclipse introduces a new incestuous fantasy, namely that of the father- daughter relationship. In Ancient Light, the Banvillian narrator fulfils his fantasy to sleep with a mother figure, namely Mrs Gray. Thus, the distinction between wives, mothers and daughters becomes increasingly blurred, except for The Blue Guitar, in which the QDUUDWRU¶V obsession with his dead daughter is less prominent than in Eclipse. In chapter five, I described the common defence mechanisms the narrator uses to neutralize the female threat )LUVW WKH QDUUDWRU¶V REVHVVLRQ WR FDSWXUH WKH mystery of womanhood in a mental photograph, which results in fragmented collages RIWKHIHPDOHFKDUDFWHUVLVGLVFXVVHG6HFRQGO\WKHQDUUDWRU¶VDWWHPSWWR UH FUHDWH women as an alternative for the female giving birth was examined with a focus on how women are described by isotopies linked to art, literature and theatre and on how they are labelled with new mythological or animalistic names. Oliver, the protagonist of The Blue Guitar, a painter who not only mentally but also literally transforms women into painted subjects, turned out to be the personification of the typical creative Banvillian narrator. )XUWKHUPRUHWKHQDUUDWRU¶VXOWLPDWHGHVLUHWRJLYHELUWK

59 to his daughter and, more radically even, to himself was discussed. I concluded that %DQYLOOH¶V QDUUDWRUV DUH UDWKer reversed Pygmalions who, instead of infusing inanimate paintings or sculptures with life, turn women into lifeless objects G¶DUW. 7KLUGO\%DQYLOOH¶VZRPHQDUHQRWRQO\GHVFULEHGDVWDEOHDX[but also submitted to the pictorial tradition of the nude, which means that they are subjected to the QDUUDWRU¶V PDOH REMHFWLI\LQJ JD]H )RXUWKO\ WKH QDUUDWRU¶V UDGLFDO VKLIWV IURP adoration to abjection and the binary image of women as both goddesses and whores were illustrated. In the sixth chapter I gave a brief overview of the current debate on the possible anti-feminist nature of %DQYLOOH¶V ILFWLRQ I agree with Müller that, ZKHWKHU %DQYLOOH¶V QRYHOV DUH DQWL-feminist or not, they provide interesting illustrations on the many ways in which women can be framed and objectified. Overall, this thesis has tried to reveal an HVVHQWLDO SDUDGR[LQ %DQYLOOH¶VRHXYUH namely the contrast between the absence and neglect of a female voice on the one hand and the overwhelming, all-encompassing, threatening and mysterious presence of women that pervades all of the novels discussed on the other%DQYLOOH¶VQDUUDWRUV even though they neglect the women in their milieuDUHREVHVVHGZLWK³ZRPDQKRRG LQLWVHVVHQFH´ AL  DQGWKH³FRQXQGUXP´RI³PRWKHUKRRG´ TBG 117). For that reason I believe that additional research in different novels on the role of women and mothers will be a valuable addition, not only to this thesis, but also to the study of %DQYLOOH¶VRHXYUHLQJHQHUDO

8. Use of Sigla

The abbreviations used for the novels discussed are: Mefisto (Mefisto), The Book of Evidence (TBE), Eclipse (Eclipse), Ancient Light (AL), The Blue Guitar (TBG).

9. Works Cited

9.1. Primary Literature

Banville, John. Mefisto. London: Picador, 1986. Print.

60

---. The Book of Evidence. London: Picador, 1989. Print.

---. Eclipse. London: Picador, 2000. Print.

---. Ancient Light. London: Penguin Books, 2013. Print.

---. The Blue Guitar. London: Penguin Random House UK, 2015. Print.

9.2. Secondary Literature

Ayers, Mary. Mother-Infant Attachment and Psychoanalysis: The Eyes of Shame. East Sussex: Routledge, 2003. Print.

Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. London: Penguin Group, 1972. Print.

%RQRPL&DUOR³1DUFLVVLVPDVPDVWHUHGYLVLELOLW\7KHHYLOH\HDnd the attack of the disembodied JD]H´ International Forum of Psychoanalysis 19.2 (2010): pp. 110 ± 119. Web.

&RXJKODQ3DWULFLD³%DQYLOOHWKH)HPLQLQHDQGWKH6FHQHVRI(URV´ Irish University Review 36.1 (2006): pp. 81-101. Web.

'HOO¶$PLFR &DURO ³John Banville and Benjamin Black: The Mundo, Crime, :RPHQ´Eire-Ireland 49.1-2 (2014): pp. 106-120. Web.

'HOLVWUDW\&RG\³-RKQ%DQYLOOHRQWKH8WWHU0\VWHU\RI:ULWLQJ´The New Yorker. 18 Sept. 2015. Web. 15 May 2016.

'¶KRNHU(ONH³3RUWUDLWRIWKHRWKHUDVDZRPDQZLWKJORYHV(WKLFDOSHUVSHFWLYHVLQ -RKQ%DQYLOOH¶V7KH%RRNRI(YLGHQFH´Critique 44.1 (2002): pp. 23-37. Web.

61 ---. Visions of Alterity: Representation in the Works of John Banville. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2004. Print.

Ghassemi, Mehdi. Precarious Subjectivity in the Work of John Banville: A Lacanian Reading. KU Leuven, 2015. Web. 2nd of May 2016.

Haughton, Hugh and Bryan Radley. An interview with John Banville. Modernism/Modernity 18.4 (2011): pp. 855-869. Web.

Kenny, John. John Banville. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 2009. Print.

---³:HOO6DLG:HOO6HHQ7KH3LFWRULDO3DUDGLJPLQ-RKQ%DQYLOOH¶V)LFWLRQ´Irish University Review 36.1 (2006): pp. 52-67. Web.

0F0LQQ-RVHSK³1DPLQJWKH:RUOG/DQJXDJHDQG([SHULHQFHLQ-RKQ%DQYLOOH V )LFWLRQ´Irish University Review 23.2 (1993): pp. 183-196. Web.

Minsky, Rosalind. Psychoanalysis and Gender. London: Routledge, 1996. Print.

0OOHU$QMD³

O'Connell, Mark. John Banville's Narcissistic Fictions. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. Print.

Reynders, Sasja. The Other Self: The trouble with identity in Amphitryon, *RG¶V*LIW and The Infinities. KU Leuven, 2014. Web. 12th April.

5RELQV 5LFKDUG : -HVVLFD / 7UDFH\ DQG 3KLOOLS 5 6KDYHU ³6KDPHG LQWR 6HOI- /RYH '\QDPLFV 5RRWV DQG )XQFWLRQV RI 1DUFLVVLVP´ Psychological Inquiry 12.4 (2001): 230-236 pp. Web.

62 6FKZDOO +HGZLJ ³ µ0LUURU RQ 0LUURU 0LUURUHG ,V $OO WKH 6KRZ¶ $VSHFWV RI WKH 8QFDQQ\ LQ %DQYLOOH¶V :RUN ZLWK D )RFXV RQ ³(FOLSVH´´ Irish University Review 36.1 (2006). Web. 15 April 2016.

6FKZDOO+HGZLJDQG.ULVWLHQ+HQV³6LJQVDQGVLJQHWVthe Lacanian RIS system in -RKQ%DQYLOOH¶V0HILVWR´.RUWULMN&DPSXV.RUWULMN3ULQW

Weineck, Silke-0DULD ³.OHLVW DQG WKH 5HVXUUHFWLRQ RI WKH )DWKHU´ Eighteenth- Century Studies 37.1 (2003): pp. 69-89. Web. 15 April 2016.

:LONLQVRQ 5RELQ ³(FKR DQG &RLQFLGHQFH LQ -RKQ %DQYLOOH¶V ³(FOLSVH´´ Irish University Review 33.2 (2003). Web. 15 April 2016.

9.3. Media

³$UWOLYHV± %HLQJ-RKQ%DQYLOOH´9LGHRYoutube. /, April 2013. Web. February 2016.

63